Be Obedient and Push

Jehovah told a certain man that he had work for him to do. This certain man had a large rock in front of his house and Jehovah explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. The man did this, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun rise to sun set, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned home sore, worn out and 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 and place a few thoughts into the man's weary 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." This gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure.

These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. "Why kill myself over this?" he thought. "I'll just put in my time, give the minimum effort and that will be good enough." And that is what he planned to do until he decided to make it a matter of prayer and Take his troubled thoughts to Jehovah.

"Jehovah, I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do what you have asked of me.. Yet, after all this time I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"

Then Jehovah responded compassionately, "When I asked you to serve 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 is 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. Yes, you haven't moved the rock but then all I ever asked was that you be obedient and push. It was through your works that you exercised faith in me.

This you have done, and now I will move the rock for you."

At times, when we may tend to think little of ourselves and our service to Jehovah and we become disheartened and discouraged, we need to remember what Jehovah asks of us and that is just simple obedience and faith in him.

By all means, exercise faith that moves mountains but know that it is still Jehovah who does the moving. When everything seems to go wrong, just PUSH.. When your job gets you down, just PUSH. When people don't react the way you think they should, just PUSH.. When people don't treat you kindly, just PUSH. When people reject you in the ministry just PUSH.

PUSH = Pray Until Something Happens!!!