He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another.

He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times.

The King’s 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her!

One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short. He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, “I now have four wives with me, but when die, I’ll be all alone.” Thus, he asked the 4th wife, “I have loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?”

“No way!”, replied the 4th wife, and she walked away without another word. Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.

The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, “I have loved you all my life. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?”

“No!” replied the 3rd wife. “Life is too good! When you die, I’m going to remarry!” His heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, “I have always turned to you for help and you’ve always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t help you out this time!”, replied the 2nd wife. “At the very most, I can only send you to your grave.” Her answer came like a bolt of lightning, and the King was devastated.

Then a voice called out: “I’ll leave with you and follow you no matter where you go.”

The King looked up, and there was his first wife. She was so skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect. Greatly grieved, the King said, “I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!”

In truth, we all have 4 wives in our lives:

Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it will leave us when we die.

Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, it will all go to others.

Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

And our 1st wife is our Soul, often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world. However, our Soul is the only thing that will follow us wherever we go. So cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us who will follow us to the throne of God and continue with us throughout Eternity.

In most cases, when they heard the voice of God, they moved. They didn’t wait around to get their pastor’s permission, receive a prophetic word of confirmation or find three places in the Word to validate their ministry. They just got up and did what God said.

Sometimes they held back for a time because of seeming obstacles they faced, such as their lack of qualifications or the opposition of their families. But once they were convinced that God had spoken, they stopped making excuses and got busy furthering His kingdom.

Maria Woodworth-Etter, a healing evangelist in the late 1800s and early 1900s, was one who did take a number of years to step fully into her call. Converted at age 13, she knew early on that she was to “work for Jesus” in the salvation of souls. But because she had no example to follow of other godly women in ministry, she thought she would have to wait until she was married and, with her husband, enter into mission work. In her day that was the only respectable way for women to enter into public ministry other than becoming foreign missionaries.

After she was married, the Lord continued to call her. She tried to tell Him that she was too weak physically, that she didn’t know the Bible well enough, that she would hinder His cause because she was a woman and that her family was against her going out to minister. But to every objection the Lord answered simply, “Go, and I will be with you.”

Still she resisted. Finally, as she continued to study the Word, she saw that throughout history God had raised up men, women and children for His purposes, including such biblical figures as Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Hulda, Anna, Phoebe, Narcissus, Tryphena, Persis, Julia “and many other women whose labors are mentioned with praise.” She began to feel condemned for hiding the talent she believed God had given her to win souls and resolved to step out.

Her first meeting was one of the hardest she ever held because it was in a town full of her husband’s relatives. But 20 people were converted at that meeting, and before long, she was holding several meetings throughout the week as well as every weekend in neighboring towns. Eventually, she traveled all over the country holding tent meetings in which thousands were saved, healed, delivered and baptized in the Holy Spirit.

I’ve seen pictures of some of those meetings, and they weren’t glamorous. The tent was pitched in the middle of a large, open field that was often wet and muddy. Maria had to walk through the field in long dresses – the fashion of the day – and lace-up boots. She had no air conditioning to keep her cool while she preached and no money to stay in fancy hotels when she was finished. Nor did she have overwhelming support from other ministers, especially men, in the places she was led to go. All she had was a call from God and a determination to fulfill it.

We can learn something from Maria’s persistence and her desire to be obedient even in the face of obstacles and opposition from critics. I like to think that, because of her faithfulness, God redeemed the time during which she had delayed answering His call.

But we can also learn something from her initially dragging her feet, and that is that we can’t allow Satan to keep us from our destinies for even a short time. When we hear God’s call, we need to respond – and not offer Him a list of excuses instead. Like the servants at the wedding in Cana where Jesus performed His first miracle, we must be willing to do “whatever He says to [us]” (John 2:5, NKJV), even if it doesn’t seem to make sense.

The enemy is working hard to advance his kingdom in our day, and there are consequences for putting God’s work on hold. More than one hundred years ago when Maria Woodworth-Etter told the Lord she would go to work in His vineyard as soon as she got prepared, He asked her, “Don’t you know that while you are getting ready souls are perishing?” How much more true this is today, with the increased number of negative cultural influences threatening the Christian foundations of our country!

I urge you, my sisters, if today you hear God’s voice, do not harden your hearts (see Ps. 95:8), close up your ears or rationalize the call away. Don’t waver or delay. Whatever He says to you, do it-and begin right now to make a difference for eternity.

Maureen D. Eha is associate editor of “Charisma” and “SpiritLed Woman” magazines.

Visit us at http://www.spiritledwoman.com where you’ll find encouragement, inspiration, fellowship and fun.

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Content from Power Up! is Copyrighted 2002 by Strang Communications Company. Content may not be reproduced without the expressed permission of the Publisher. For rights and permissions, please email spiritledwoman@strang.com.

Today, the enemy’s like General Custer – he’s taking his last stand! Don’t let him see you sweat! God knows what you’re going through and He’s already prepared an exit strategy! He’s made provision for every struggle, every test and every problem. Just look up and you’ll see it! Listen: ‘Abraham looked up and…saw a ram caught by its horns. He…took the ram, and sacrificed it…instead of his son’ (Genesis 22:13 NIV).

What’s really interesting here is that rams don’t normally climb that high. However, when God’s promised you something, if He has to, He’ll break every rule in the book to get it to you. When you obey Him, He promises to, ‘…open (you) the windows of heaven…’ and pour His blessings into your life. (See Malachi 3:10).

Not only was the ram in the right place at the right time, it was also ‘caught’ there. God will hold your provision in place until you arrive. He’ll tie you to a blessing that nobody can take from you, because He’s Jehovah-Jireh, your Provider!

© 8/6/2003 Used with permission. Printed copies of “The Word for Today” are available free from UCB, by writing PO Box 255, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 8YY, England or visit www.ucb.co.uk

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband’s employer’s home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.

The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband’s employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants.

Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so she was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment.

Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny.

He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She causally mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value.

A smile crept across the man’s face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?

“Look at it.” He said. “Read what it says.” She read the words “United States of America.”

“No, not that; read further.”

“One cent?” “No, keep reading.”

“In God we Trust?” “Yes!” “And?”

“And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God’s way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!”

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, “In God We Trust,” and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message.

It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful!

And, God is patient…

Finally it was time to take the test.

“Leave them face down on the desk until everyone has one and I’ll tell you to start,” our prof instructed.

When we turned them over, every answer on the test was filled in! The bottom of the last page said the following:

“This is the end of the Final Exam. All the answers on your test are correct. You will receive an ‘A’ on the final exam. The reason you passed the test is because the creator of the test took it for you. All the work you did in preparation for this test did not help you get the A. You have just experienced…grAce.”

He then went around the room and asked each student individually, “What is your grade? Do you deserve the grade you are receiving? How much did all your studying for this exam help you achieve your final grade?”

Now I am not a crier by any stretch of the imagination, but I had to fight back tears when answering those questions and thinking about how the Creator has passed the test for me.

Discussion afterward went like this: “I have tried to teach you all semester that you are a recipient of grace. I’ve tried to communicate to you that you need to demonstrate this gift as you work with young people. Don’t hammer them; they are not the enemy. Help them, for they will carry on your ministry if it is full of GRACE!”

Talking about how some of us had probably studied hours and some just a few minutes but had all received the same grade, he pointed to a story Jesus told in Matthew 20. The owner of a vineyard hired people to work in his field and agreed to pay them a certain amount. Several different times during the day, he hired more workers. When it was time to pay them, they all received the same amount. When the ones who had been hired first thing in the morning began complaining, the boss said, “Should you be angry because I am kind?” (Matthew 20:15).

The teacher said he had never done this kind of final before and probably would never do it again, but because of the content of many of our class discussions, he felt like we needed to experience grace.

Have you thanked your Creator today because of the grace you have experienced?

© 2002 Denise Banderman. Reprinted with permission from www.MikeysFunnies.com

A true story on 04/30/02 from a student in a youth ministry class at Hannibal-LaGrange College in Missouri.

During some point of the journey, they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was shocked and hurt, but without saying anything, he wrote in the sand:

Today my best friend slapped me in the face.

They kept on walking, until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a swim. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but his friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he carved into a stone:

Today my best friend saved my life.

The friend, who had slapped and then saved his best friend, asked him, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand, and now, you write on a stone, why?”

The other friend replied: “When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand, where the winds of forgiveness can erase it; but, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”

Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your blessings in stone.

“A story about what?” asked Jacob.

“About a giant,” squealed the children.

Jacob smiled, leaned against the warm stones at the side of the fireplace, and his voice turned softly inward.

“Once there was a boy who asked his father to take him to see the great parade that passed through the village. The father, remembering the parade from when he was a boy, quickly agreed, and the next morning the boy and his father set out together.

“As they approached the parade route, people started to push in from all sides, and the crowd grew thick. When the people along the way became almost a wall; the father lifted his son and placed him on his shoulders.

“Soon the parade began and as it passed, the boy kept telling his father how wonderful it was and how spectacular were the colors and images. The boy, in fact, grew so prideful of what he saw that he mocked those who saw less saying, even to his father, ‘If only you could see what I see.’”

“But,” said Jacob staring straight in the faces of the children, “what the boy did not look at was why he could see. What the boy forgot was that once his father, too, could see.”

Then as if he had finished the story, Jacob stopped speaking.

“Is that it?” said a disappointed girl. “We thought you were going to tell us a story about a giant.”

“But I did,” said Jacob. “I told you a story about a boy who could have been a giant.”

“How?” squealed the children.

“A giant,” said Jacob, “is anyone who remembers we are all sitting on someone else’s shoulders.”

“And what does it make us if we don’t remember?” asked the boy.

“A burden,” answered Jacob.

Do NOT ride in automobiles: they cause 20% of all fatal accidents.

Do NOT stay home: 17% of all accidents do occur in the home.

Do NOT walk on the streets or sidewalks: 14% of all accidents happen to pedestrians.

Do NOT travel by air, rail, or water: 16% of all accidents happen on these.

Only .001% of all deaths occur in worship services in church, and these are related to previous physical disorders.

Hence, the safest place for you to be at any time is church. [Bible study is safe, too. The percentage there is even less.]

Go to church! IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!

When I created the heavens and the earth, I spoke them into being.

When I created man, I formed him and breathed life into his nostrils.

But you, woman, I fashioned after I breathed the breath of life into man because your nostrils are too delicate.

I allowed a deep sleep to come over him so I could patiently and perfectly fashion you.

Man was put to sleep so that he could not interfere with the creativity.

From one bone, I fashioned you. I chose the bone that protects man’s life.

I chose the rib, which protects his heart and lungs and supports him, as you are meant to do. Around this one bone, I shaped you….

I modeled you. I created you perfectly and beautifully.

Your characteristics are as the rib, strong yet delicate and fragile.

You provide protection for the most delicate organ in man, his heart.

His heart is the center of his being; his lungs hold the breath of life.

The rib cage will allow itself to be broken before it will allow damage to the heart. Support man as the rib cage supports the body.

You were not taken from his feet, to be under him, nor were you taken from his head, to be above him.

You were taken from his side, to stand beside him and be held close to his side.

You are my perfect angel…..You are my beautiful little girl.

You have grown to be a splendid woman of excellence, and my eyes fill when I see the virtues in your heart. Your eyes……don’t change them. Your lips-how lovely when they part in prayer. Your nose, so perfect in form.

Your hands so gentle to touch. I’ve caressed your face in your deepest sleep. I’ve held your heart close to mine. Of all that lives and breathes, you are most like me.

Adam walked with me in the cool of the day, yet he was lonely. He could not see me or touch me. He could only feel me. So everything I wanted Adam to share and experience with me, I fashioned in you; my holiness, my strength, my purity, my love, my protection and support.

You are special because you are an extension of me. Man represents my image, woman my emotions. Together, you represent the totality of God.

So man……treat women well. Love her, respect her, for she is fragile.

You must realize that it’s not our goal to make you cry but it seems that God knows where each of us need that nudge to let us know He is there and that He will take care of our every need. That’s usually where I cry!

We all have problems in our lives. Some of these “storms” seem calmer and some are raging thunderstorms but through it all, God is with us before, during, and after each storm. He once calmed a storm with just 3 words, “Peace be still!” and He can give you that same peace again and again.

God is a great big God and He is able to calm ANY storm! But sometimes he lets us go through them to help us grow. We probably don’t like it much and sometimes we go through those storms complaining every step. As one of my favorite songs says, “Sometimes he calms the storm and sometimes He calms me.” I hope one of the stories included in this issue will give you that calm assurance that God is in control.

A pastor friend in one of his recent sermons said, “stop telling God how big our storms are, but tell our storms how big God is!”

God is the creator of the weather and allows storms in our lives. Don’t let your next storm leave devestation but let it be a cleansing rain from God’s own hand.