1 Samuel 12:24 – Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great [things] he hath done for you.
Colossians 3:23-24 – And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; (Read More…)
1 Corinthians 15:58 – Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Romans 12:1 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.
2 Corinthians 9:7 – Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, [so let him give]; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
The Three Trees
Author: Unknown
Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing
their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, ‘Someday I hope to be a
treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I
could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the
beauty’
Then the second tree said, ‘Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take
Kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world.
Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull.’
Finally the third tree said, ‘I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest Tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and
look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to
them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people
will always remember me.’
After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of
woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said,
‘This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood
to a carpenter, ‘and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because
he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.
At the second tree the woodsman said, ‘This looks like a strong tree. I
should be able to sell it to the shipyard.’ The second tree was happy
Because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.
When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened
because he knew that if they cut him down, his dreams would not come true.
One of the woodsmen said, ‘I don’t need any special wood quality from my
tree, I’ll take this one,’ and he cut it down.
When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was
not at all what he had prayed for.
The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of
being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end.
The third tree was cut into large timber and left in a pile of lumber, alone in the dark…his dreams of being the tallest tree, reaching toward
heaven were gone.
The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.
Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn, she gave birth and they
placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first
tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this
manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event
and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.
Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second
tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the
water, a great storm arose and the tree didn’t think it was strong enough
to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said ‘Peace’ and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had
carried the King of Kings in its boat.
Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the
streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came
to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at
the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was
strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as
was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.
The moral of this story is that when things don’t seem to be going your
way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in
Him, God will give you great gifts.
Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had
imagined.
We don’t always know what God’s plans are for us. We just know that His
Ways are not our ways, but His ways are always
Devotion Written or Posted By: Pastor Pat Aman Book “Coffee With Pat Daily
Devotionals”
Study Notes: The New King James Bible
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Blessing, Love and Prayers,
Pastor Pat
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