Scars of Life

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in South Florida , a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore. His father, working in the yard, saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could. Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator. Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father's fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved. The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Dad wouldn't let go." You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you. The Scripture teaches that God loves you. You are a child of God. He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That's when the tug-of-war begins - and if you have the scars of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful. He did not and will not ever let you go. Please pass this on to those you love. God has blessed you, so that you can be a blessing to others. You just never know where a person is in his/her life and what they are going through. Never judge another person's scars, because you don't know how they got them. Also, it is so important that we are not selfish, to receive the blessings of these messages, without forwarding them to someone else. Right now, someone needs to know that God loves them, and you love them, too - enough to not let them go.

Prayer God Can't Refuse

In the first chapter of Nehemiah, he learns that the walls of Jerusalem are broken down and its gates had been destroyed by fire. Nehemiah came face to face with a situation that was too big for him. Prayer has been called the greatest force on earth. Preaching my stir the hearts of men, but prayer moves the heart of God. For prayer to be effective it must be preceded by a knowledge of a need. For Nehemiah the walls of the city of his fathers must be rebuilt. Thus Nehemiah went to prayer. Prayer is not merely prattle; it is warfare. Nehemiah did not expect God to answer his summons the moment he prayed. He instead recognized his subordination to his Sovereign and respectfully persisted until God answered him (James 5:16-18). Not only does prayer aid in bringing our lives into conformity to the will of God, it also prepares us to receive an answer. Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance, it is laying hold of His highest willingness. Prayer gives us a new perspective. True prayer opens the eyes to things not seen before. Prayer establishes our priorities. Prayer gives us a sense of purpose, God's purpose. Our "groaning which cannot be uttered" are the prayers which God cannot refuse (Romans 8:26-27). Daily prayers really do lessen our daily cares. Why? Because we learn to "cast all our burdens on the One who cares for us." It is prevailing prayer that makes a difference. The reasons Nehemiah became so burdened for the walls to be built, is they were the holy cities protection. In the Scriptures the walls of Jerusalem symbolize protection and her gate praise (Isaiah 60:18). Nehemiah prayed and intermittently fasted for 120 day, the walls were built in 52 days. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.