This nation was blessed at its founding because the people that were involved sought the direction of God. The earliest settlers came to these shores with the desire to worship God free from persecution. There are those today that would rewrite that history. The names and the dates would stay the same but the motives and desires would be omitted. The prayers that were prayed would be left out. There are those that would take God out of our fine history. As God is taken out His blessing also goes with Him. As God is being removed from our nation today so also is His blessing. People have tried to build without God’s blessing. In the end these efforts fail, like a house built upon the sand. The winds of adversity come, the storms of life come, and the house falls. Only that which is built upon the solid rock will stand. That Rock is Jesus.

A tragic time in the life of the nation Israel came after the reign of King Solomon. In 931 BC Rehoboam, the son of Solomon became King of the Israelites. Under King Solomon the nation enjoyed relative peace. God also granted great prosperity as Solomon followed after the way and will of the Almighty. King Solomon did not stay true to God. He married women from other nations and allowed his many wives to worship their gods. As Solomon strayed, God’s hand of blessing was being removed as a result. In order to keep the standard of living, taxes went up. By the time Solomon had died the burden was heavy upon the people. The decline of the nation had begun.

It was in this environment that Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, was to become king. The name Rehoboam has a meaning. It means “a people has enlarged.” To me this is significant. Rehoboam is at a critical point. He can seek God. He can yield to God’s ways. He can be a man after God’s own heart. If he does, I believe that God who rewards those that diligently seek Him, (Hebrews 11:16) will enlarge the people. If Rehoboam chooses to be God’s man the name that had been given him would rove to be prophetic. Rehoboam sadly did not seek the Lord. He did not seek God’s will. He did not seek God’s way. He took the advice of man rather than seeking the guidance of the Almighty, All Knowing God of the universe. How foolish, how tragic, when we turn from God. The true and living God is not only all powerful but He is also Love. (1 John 4:8) Being Love, we find that God’s motives are pure. He is faithful and true. (Revelation 21:5)

Oh that we would be of sound mind as we face the challenges of life. Oh that we would seek the council of the One with infinite wisdom and understanding (Isaiah 11:1-2) Oh the grief and heartache that would be avoided, if we would but turn to God. He longs to guide us. (1 Peter 2:25) He longs to guide you.

All of Israel gathered to meet with the new king of Israel. They asked of him to lighten their taxation. If he would do this they would follow him. (1 Kings 12:) Rehoboam had it in his hands to strengthen all of Israel. He chose to speak harshly to the people and promised to increase their burden. (1 Kings 12:11) Because of the foolishness of Rehoboam the nation of Israel was divided. Then of the twelve tribes of Israel separated themselves from the rule of Rehoboam. These ten tribes became known as the northern tribes and retained the name Israel. The tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained under Rehoboam and are often referred to as Judah. The northern tribes chose a man to be their king. His name was Jeroboam. This name, Jeroboam means “the people will contend.” Jeroboam did indeed lead the northern tribes to contend. They were contentious with the southern tribes and they were contentious with God. Jeroboam led the northern kingdom into idolatry. This idolatry would be on e of the sins that would bring destruction and finally captivity. Again it is so sad because God had reached out to Jeroboam. (1 Kings 11:38) “And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.”

Wow! What a word to receive from God! What a promise from the Almighty! Jeroboam however turned from that offer. He chose another path.

Placing our lives in the hands of God can be a scary thing. There can be feelings of uncertainty. Questions arise when we are asked to step out in faith.

Noah had a number of obstacles to overcome as he obeyed God’s command to build an ark. He had to put up with the chiding of those that would not yield to God.

Consider the mother of Moses and the emotions she must have felt as she put her tiny baby into a small ark and placed it into the river, (Exodus 2:3) watching as the small craft with its precious cargo floated away. What joy she must have experienced as the daughter of Pharaoh opened it and had compassion on the child.

Consider also that wayward prophet. He was thrown into the sea. (Jonah 1:15) The sailors that cast him into the raging water knew it was to a certain death. As Jonah was given to the sea it stopped its raging. The scripture tells us that he was swallowed up by a great fish.

Can you imagine the fear that would grip a person as they realize that they are being swallowed up by a great fish? Without this fish Jonah would have perished. Without the ark, despite the anxiety it may have caused the child, Moses would have been killed by the decree of Pharaoh. By the provision of God Moses became as a son in Pharaoh’s household. Despite the humiliation that Noah experienced, the ark that he was building became a vessel of salvation!

God has chosen to reach out to mankind through His Son Jesus Christ.

The cross of Jesus Christ is foolishness to man. “For the reaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it s the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)

God is reaching out to you today. Jesus, the Son is desiring to be your Savior. The Holy Spirit of god is desiring to lead, guide and direct. Put the fear aside and any thing else that would keep you from Him. Receive Him right now by faith. “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” (John 1:12)

This story was taken from a Sunday morning message at the Open Bible Church July 2004, the same weekend that Lou and I felt the Lord saying to take The Well Ministries full-time. I asked Pastor Bob if I could share his message in The Well so he rewrote it for publication.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains were all around it. Overhead was blue sky with puffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought it was the perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains too, but they were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell, and in which lightening played. Down the sides of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.

But when the king looked, he saw behind the waterall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There in the midst of the rush of the angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest…perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize?

The king chose the second picture.

Do you know why?

“Because,” explained the king, “peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, no trouble, and no hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in you heart. This is the real meaning of peace.”

The winner was a four-year-old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, “Nothing … I just helped him cry.”

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger.

“God, how could you do this to me?!” he cried.

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him.

“How did you know I was here?” asked the weary man of his rescuers.

“We saw your smoke signal,” they replied.

She called her home to talk to the sitter, and was told her daughter was getting worse.

The sitter said, “Find a coat hanger and use that to open the door.”

The woman found an old rusty coat hanger on the ground, then looked at the hanger and said, “I don’t know how to use this.”

She bowed her head and asked God for help.

An old rusty car pulled up, driven by a dirty, greasy, bearded man with a biker skull rag on his head.

The woman thought, “Great, God. This is what you sent to help me?” But she was desperate, and thankful.

The man got out of his car and asked if he could help.

She said, “Yes, my daughter is very sick. I must get home to her. Please, can you use this hanger to unlock my car?”

He said, “SURE.”

He walked over to the car and in seconds the car door was opened.

She hugged the man and through her tears she said, “THANK YOU SO MUCH…. You are a very nice man.”

He replied, “Lady, I ain’t a nice man. I just got out of prison for car theft.”

The woman hugged him again and cried out loud, “THANK YOU, GOD, FOR SENDING ME A PROFESSIONAL!”

She read the letter:

Dear Ruth
I’m going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I’d like to stop by for a visit.

Love Always, Jesus

Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. “Why would the Lord want to visit me? I’m nobody special. I don’t have anything to offer.”

With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. “Oh my goodness, I really don’t have anything to offer. I’ll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner.” She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents.

“Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least.” She threw on her coat and hurried out the door. A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk…leaving Ruth with a grand total of twelve cents to last her until Monday.

Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.

“Hey lady, can you help us, lady?” Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn’t even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags.

“Look lady, I ain’t got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it’s getting cold and we’re getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us, lady, we’d really appreciate it.”

Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and, frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to.

“Sir, I’d like to help you, but I’m a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I’m having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him.”

“Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway.” The man put his arm around the woman’s shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley.

As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart. “Sir, wait!” The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. “Look, why don’t you take this food. I’ll figure out something else to serve my guest.” She handed the man her grocery bag.

“Thank you lady. Thank you very much!” “Yes, thank you!” It was the man’s wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering.

“You know, I’ve got another coat at home. Here, why don’t you take this one.” Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman’s shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street…without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest.

“Thank you lady! Thank you very much!”

Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn’t have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox. “That’s odd. The mailman doesn’t usually come twice in one day.” She took the envelope out of the box and opened it.

Dear Ruth,
It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.

Love Always, Jesus

The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.

I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me;
I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.
Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.
Matthew 25:35-36, 40

When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.

He said, “Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.” The young man held out this package. “I know this isn’t much. I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.”

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. “Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It’s a gift.”

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.

On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. “We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?”

There was silence.

Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, “We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.”

But the auctioneer persisted. “Will somebody bid for this painting. Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?”

Another voice angrily. “We didn’t come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!”

But still the auctioneer continued.. “The son! The son! Who’ll take the son?”

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. “I’ll give $10 for the painting.” Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

“We have $10, who will bid $20?”

“Give it to him for $10. Let’s see the masters.”

“$10 is the bid, won’t someone bid $20?”

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the picture of the son.

They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel. “Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!”

A man sitting on the second row shouted, “Now let’s get on with the collection!”

The auctioneer laid down his gavel.. “I’m sorry, the auction is over.”

“What about the paintings?”

“I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!”

God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: “The son, the son, who’ll take the son?”

Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO EVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE . . . THAT’S LOVE

So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose. The God-like qualities planted in us at birth grow amid the thorns of our faults. Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects. We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies. We never realize our potential.

Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them. One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns and find the rose within others. This is the characteristic of love, to look at a person and, knowing her faults, recognize the nobility in her soul and help her realize that she can overcome her faults. If we show her the rose, she will conquer the thorns. Then will she blossom, blooming forth thirty, sixty, a hundred-fold as it is given to her.

Our duty in this world is to help others by showing them their roses and not their thorns. Only then can we achieve the love we should feel for each other; only then can we bloom in our own garden.

The man replies, “Thank you, but no, I’m waiting for the Lord.”

The waters continue to rise and now the man has scrambled out onto his roof, where he is seen by a man going past in a speedboat. This man roars up to the house and yells, “Hey! Get in and I’ll save you!”

The man on the roof replies, “Thanks, but no. I’m waiting for the Lord. He will save me.”

Now the waters have risen so far the man is perched on his chimney top. Miraculously, a passing helicopter spots him and the pilot shouts down, “Climb up this rope ladder and we’ll save you!”

“No, thanks,” replies the man on the roof. “I’m waiting for the Lord who has promised to save me.”

The waters continue to rise, and the man drowns.

Now he gets to heaven (having a good and righteous soul), and when he gets there he has a complaint to make. He says to the Lord, “Lord, I trusted You. I waited for You, and You never came. I’m very disappointed.”

The Lord replies, “What did you expect? I sent two boats and a helicopter!”

Be careful. God may not answer your prayer the way you expect it.

We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator). We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates). “And it is our last hot water bottle!” she exclaimed.

As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drug stores down forest path ways.

“All right,” I said, “put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm.” The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me.

I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died. During prayer time, one ten-year old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children.

“Please, God” she prayed, “Send us a water bottle. It’ll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon.” While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, “And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she’ll know You really love her?”

As often with children’s prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say, “Amen?” I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything, the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren’t there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!

Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses’ training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the verandah, was a large twenty-two pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children.

Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored.

Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas — that would make a batch of buns for the weekend. Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the…..could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out — yes, a brand-new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.

Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, “If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly too!” Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!

Looking up at me, she asked: “Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she’ll know that Jesus really loves her?”

That parcel had been on the way for five whole months. Packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God’s prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child — five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it “that afternoon.”

“Before they call, I will answer” (Isaiah 65:24)