From: John & April Correia <jacorreia@email.msn.com>
Subject: Encouragement From The Heart  -  December 28, 1998
Date: Sunday, December 27, 1998 21:41 PM

THE ROCK

There was a man who was asleep one night in his cabin when suddenly his room
filled with light and the Savior appeared. The Lord told the man he had a
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.

For 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 would return to his cabin sore and worn out,
feeling that his whole day was spent in vain.

Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, Satan decided to
enter the picture placing thoughts in the man's mind such as, "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.  Etc.. Etc." Thus giving
the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a
failure.

These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man even more. "Why kill
myself over this?" he thought. "I'll just put in my time giving just the
minimum amount of 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 a half millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I
failing?"

To this the Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when long ago I
asked you to serve me and you accepted, I told you to push against the rock
with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention that I
expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me, your
strength spent, thinking you have failed. But, is it really so? Look at
yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back is brown, your hands
are callused, 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, to push and to exercise your faith and trust in my wisdom.
This you have done.  Now, My friend, I will move the rock."

Author Unknown

What is the "rock" the Lord has given you to push against?  Are you growing
tired and discouraged in the lack of progress?  Is Satan whispering in your
ear, "What's the use, you won't do it anyway."

Beloved, if you are going through this right now you're not alone.  We must
remember that "Greater is He who is in us, then he of this world." We must
Let Him "move" the rock.   All our Savior calls us to be is - obedient.
Blessings!  April Correia
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The above message is sent to you as a ministry of encouragement.
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Have a wonderful day in the Lord!
April Correia

Stop by and visit  "Encouragement From The Heart" Website.   Special thanks
to our  Webmaster, John !
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ridge/1483/encourag.html   All glory to
God!
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