Such A Time As This...
"Great hearts can only be made through great troubles"
C. H. Spurgeon
Michael Lewis tells the story of a man who visited New College in Oxford, England. Actually, this "new" college wasn't new at all. As he walked into the College Commons building, he asked when it had been constructed.
"1386," the administrator replied.
As the visitor looked around at the weathered and stately old structure, his eyes were drawn to the majestic oak beams that crisscrossed and buttressed the open ceiling. He'd never seen anything like them. They were huge, massive, and magnificent.
He asked if those were the original beams.
"No, they're not. They were replaced in the late 1890's. Those are the new beams."
Those "new beams" were well over a hundred years old. The administrator continued with his story. "When it became apparent, in the 1890's, the original beams were in need of replacement, a small crisis developed. No one knew where they would ever be able to find giant oaks of the size that could yield such massive replacement beams. It was the college forester who provided the answer.
"Hidden away in the back hills of the college property, is a great stand of giant oaks. Those oaks are over 550 years old. Interestingly enough, they were all planted at the same time, by the same man. And the man who planted those oaks is the same man who fashioned and raised the original beams in 1386."
That story whose origin may be somewhat prophetic, has tremendous truth. The man who built and used those original beams knew their strength and durability would decay with time. Those great beams would last for centuries. And, at some point-four, five, or even six hundred years in the future - they would begin to fail the test. They would be tried in the balance and fall short. The test of the ages would eventually wear them down.
Knowing that one day they would no longer be able to pass the test, the designer had the vision and foresight to plant their very stand-ins.
In Psalms 11:4-5, David writes:
The Lord is in His holy temple; the LORD'S throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked... .
As the great beams were tested by the weight of the ceiling above it, we too will be tested by the Lord. God is more interested in great hearts than He is in great beams, and as C.H. Spurgeon put it, "Great hearts can only be made through great troubles."
This is taken from a book called 'Tempered Steel' by Steve Farrar
There are a lot of men who are leading families, and are waiting on God for direction.
Can I encourage you today that you are here on earth - Right Now - Right Here- Right were you are - FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS!!! -
You are not a mistake!!!
You have been made in His Image.
It is because of Jesus- Who satisfied His Fathers WRATH - so that you and I can boldly approach the throne!
Fill your mind with truth from God's word, not philosophies of this day!!!
You are here for such a time as this...
because...
His Wrath is Satisfied...
C. H. Spurgeon
Michael Lewis tells the story of a man who visited New College in Oxford, England. Actually, this "new" college wasn't new at all. As he walked into the College Commons building, he asked when it had been constructed.
"1386," the administrator replied.
As the visitor looked around at the weathered and stately old structure, his eyes were drawn to the majestic oak beams that crisscrossed and buttressed the open ceiling. He'd never seen anything like them. They were huge, massive, and magnificent.
He asked if those were the original beams.
"No, they're not. They were replaced in the late 1890's. Those are the new beams."
Those "new beams" were well over a hundred years old. The administrator continued with his story. "When it became apparent, in the 1890's, the original beams were in need of replacement, a small crisis developed. No one knew where they would ever be able to find giant oaks of the size that could yield such massive replacement beams. It was the college forester who provided the answer.
"Hidden away in the back hills of the college property, is a great stand of giant oaks. Those oaks are over 550 years old. Interestingly enough, they were all planted at the same time, by the same man. And the man who planted those oaks is the same man who fashioned and raised the original beams in 1386."
That story whose origin may be somewhat prophetic, has tremendous truth. The man who built and used those original beams knew their strength and durability would decay with time. Those great beams would last for centuries. And, at some point-four, five, or even six hundred years in the future - they would begin to fail the test. They would be tried in the balance and fall short. The test of the ages would eventually wear them down.
Knowing that one day they would no longer be able to pass the test, the designer had the vision and foresight to plant their very stand-ins.
In Psalms 11:4-5, David writes:
The Lord is in His holy temple; the LORD'S throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked... .
As the great beams were tested by the weight of the ceiling above it, we too will be tested by the Lord. God is more interested in great hearts than He is in great beams, and as C.H. Spurgeon put it, "Great hearts can only be made through great troubles."
This is taken from a book called 'Tempered Steel' by Steve Farrar
There are a lot of men who are leading families, and are waiting on God for direction.
Can I encourage you today that you are here on earth - Right Now - Right Here- Right were you are - FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS!!! -
You are not a mistake!!!
You have been made in His Image.
It is because of Jesus- Who satisfied His Fathers WRATH - so that you and I can boldly approach the throne!
Fill your mind with truth from God's word, not philosophies of this day!!!
You are here for such a time as this...
because...
His Wrath is Satisfied...
posted by PJC at 2:36 pm
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