For August 28th:

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

“            A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox.

He had with him his box of cars and trucks, his plastic pail, and a

shiny, red plastic shovel. In the process of creating roads and

tunnels in the soft sand, he discovered a large rock in the middle of

the sandbox. The lad dug around the rock, managing to dislodge it from

the dirt. With no little bit of struggle, he pushed and nudged the

rock across the sandbox by using his feet. (The boy was very small and

the rock was very large.)

When the boy got the rock to the edge of the sandbox, however, he

found that he couldn't roll it up and over the little wall.

Determined, the little boy shoved, pushed, and pried, but every time

he thought he had made some progress, the rock tipped and then fell

back into the sandbox. The little boy grunted, struggled, pushed,

shoved -- but his only reward was to have the rock roll back, smashing

his chubby fingers. Finally he burst into tears of frustration.

All this time the boy's father watched from his living room window as

the drama unfolded. At the moment the tears fell, a large shadow moved

across the boy and the sandbox. It was the boy's father. Gently but

firmly he said, "Son, why didn't you use all the strength that you had

available?"

Defeated, the boy sobbed back, "But I did, Daddy, I did! I used all

the strength that I had!"

"No, son," corrected the father kindly. "You didn't use all the

strength you had. You didn't ask me."

With that the father reached down, picked up the rock, and removed it

from the sandbox.

Do you have "rocks" in your life that need to be removed? Are you

discovering that you don't have what it takes to lift them? There is

One who is always available to us and willing to give us the strength

we need. When the apostle Paul faced times of a broken spirit and

sapped strength, he proclaimed to the Corinthian church, "My grace is

enough for you. When you are weak, then my power is made perfect in

you" (2 Corinthians 12:9b NCV). When we are broken in spirit and our

strength is spent, we can turn to our Father, Jesus and ask for his

strength.”

Anonymous

Entry submitted by Vicki Boring