Enduring Beauty

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  “Beauty is the quality which makes to endure. In a house that I know, I have noticed a block of spermaceti lying about closets and mantel-pieces, for twenty years together, simply because the tallow-man gave it the form of a rabbit; and, I suppose, it may continue to be lugged about unchanged for a century. Let an artist scrawl a few lines or figures on the back of a letter, and that scrap of paper is rescued from danger, is put in portfolio, is framed and glazed, and, in proportion to the beauty of the lines drawn, will be kept for centuries. Burns writes a copy of verses, and sends them to a newspaper, and the human race take charge of them that they shall not perish.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson. (1803–1882).   Essays and English Traits.

Obeying God's Will

God’s will is still a hot-pursuit item; however, I think what most people really mean when they say they are looking for God’s will is they are looking for something easy to do, yet still feel like they are accomplishing something for the Lord. You know, “what can I do to feel spiritual, but not break a sweat or bring any drastic changes to my life?”

Read through the following list and see if you can name the individuals who experienced some of the hard-to-obey commands of God:

  • This man was told to name his son “John.”
  • This man was to anoint someone else as king while Saul still lived.
  • This man was told to enter a Gentile’s home and preach the gospel.
  • This man had to cross the sea . . . on foot.
  • Who was told to leave his father’s house and move to a new land?
  • And what about the guy who had to take a harlot for a wife?
  • Then there was the fellow who was told to preach to his enemy.
  • And the chap who helped a man who killed Christians?
  • What was the name of the man who built a boat on dry land?
  • Who was it that took his wife and infant son to Egypt?

How many of these failed? When we are told “to do” for the Lord, we feel like He is asking us to do the impossible. Consider what these people had to do. Reflect for a moment on how many of these people threw their full trust on God, who promised to accomplish what He has said He would do.

Here are the answers, but not in order (that would'nt be fun)—you get to find that out:

  • Abram (Abraham) in Genesis 12:1
  • Jonah, in Jonah 1:1-3
  • Hosea in Hosea 1:2
  • Moses in Exodus 14:14-16
  • Joseph, in Matthew 2:13
  • Zechariah in Luke 1:13-18
  • Ananias, in Acts 9:10-15
  • Peter, in Acts 10:19-20
  • Noah in Genesis 6:13-14
  • Samuel, in 1 Samuel 16:1-2

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