P.U.S.H.

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin, when suddenly his room

filled with light, and God appeared.

The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a

large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was

to push against the rock with all his might.

So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun

up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive

surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all of his might.

Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling

that his day had been spent in vain.

Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan)

decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind:

"You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it

hasn't moved."

Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and

that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the

man. Satan said, "Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time,

giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough."

That's what the weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a

matter of prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.

"Lord," he said, "I have labored long and hard in your service,

putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after

all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter.

What is wrong? Why am I failing?"

The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you to

serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push

against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never

once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it... Your task

was to push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent,thinking

that you have failed. But, is this really so? Look at yourself. Your

arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown; your hands

are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and

hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now

surpass that which you used to have. True, you haven't moved the rock.

But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your

faith and trust in My wisdom. That you have done. Now I, my friend,

will move the rock."

At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own

intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is

just a simple obedience and faith in Him. By all means, exercise the

faith that moves mountains. When everything seems to go wrong, just P.U.S.H.!* When the job gets you down, ...just P.U.S.H.!* When your money is "gone" and the bills are due, ...just P.U.S.H.!* When people just don't understand you, ... just P.U.S.H.!*