A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room
filled with light and the Savior 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.
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 his might.
Each night the man returned to his cabin sore, and worn out, feeling
that his whole day had been spent in vain. Seeing that the man was
showing signs of discouragement, Satan decided to enter the picture by
placing thoughts into the man's mind:
"You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it
hasn't budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to
move it." Thus giving the man the impression that the task was
impossible and that he was a failure, these thoughts discouraged and
disheartened the "Why kill myself over this?" he thought.
"I'll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort and
that will be good enough."
And that he planned to do until one day he decided to make it a
matter of prayer and 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 that really so?
"Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back
sinewed and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure,
and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you
have grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have.
Yet 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. This
you have done. "I, my friend, will now move the rock."
filled with light and the Savior 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.
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 his might.
Each night the man returned to his cabin sore, and worn out, feeling
that his whole day had been spent in vain. Seeing that the man was
showing signs of discouragement, Satan decided to enter the picture by
placing thoughts into the man's mind:
"You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it
hasn't budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to
move it." Thus giving the man the impression that the task was
impossible and that he was a failure, these thoughts discouraged and
disheartened the "Why kill myself over this?" he thought.
"I'll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort and
that will be good enough."
And that he planned to do until one day he decided to make it a
matter of prayer and 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 that really so?
"Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back
sinewed and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure,
and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you
have grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have.
Yet 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. This
you have done. "I, my friend, will now move the rock."
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