Pastor’s Thoughts

Beth Landers shaded a great illustration several years ago concerning the value of STRUGGLE. “

A man found a cocoon of the emperor moth and took it home to watch it emerge. One day a small opening appeared, and for several hours the moth struggled but couldn’t seem to force its body past a certain point.

Deciding something was wrong, the man took scissors and snipped the remaining bit of the cocoon. The moth emerged easily, its body large and swollen, the wings small and shriveled.

He expected that in a few hours the wings would spread out in their natural beauty, but they did not. Instead of developing into a creature free to fly, the moth spent its life dragging around a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The constricting cocoon and the struggle necessary to pass through the tiny opening are God’s way of forcing fluid from the body into the wings. The “merciful” snip was, in reality, cruel. Sometimes the struggle is exactly what we need.”

When is the appropriate time to step in and show mercy? Is what we are doing for someone in their best interest or is it something that we are doing to feel better about ourselves or simply to show piety? Is loving someone always about giving them everything they desire and helping them to never have to do without struggle? For the answer to that question consider how our heavenly Father loves us and allows us to suffer the consequences of our sinful world, and our own personal decisions. God is always there standing beside us, he at times ministers supporting grace and comfort as we continue though our struggle, and I believe He delights when we lean on Him until we emerge on the other side of the issue. That being said, may I remind you that God does not always exercise His power to remove the struggle?

The story of the Prodigal Son gives us a tremendous illustration of how and when our Heavenly Father administers His mercy. When the rebellious son returned home with a humbled and transformed heart, the gracious father poured out his mercy toward his son. He restored all that his son had lost in going his own way.

Knowing when to help others is not always an easy decision. The decision of when to step in and help others must be sought though prayer and decrement of God’s will.  There are times when we need to ask others to pray with us and help us know what to do in a given situation. Know this, God does care and knows what is best, so before jumping in and snipping the cocoon shell, seek guidance from the one who knows what is best.

God Bless,

Bro. Danny