God comes through for us
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Faith Fitness
Bro. Sam Kaufman
Our plans to play disc golf on Saturday were interrupted, which was fine by us.
Connie Maestas needed assistance, and we were glad to help.
Two massive trees fell into Connie’s yard – one in the back and one in the front – when storms blew through a while back.
We received a text that morning that a cleanup day was in progress. So, me and the boys headed to Connie’s house to pitch in.
The work basically consisted of loading large logs onto a wagon, pulling them to the fire and heaving them in.
It was me and my two boys and their cousin and my friend and his son. So we had four teenagers and two old men doing the work.
We had a lot of fun. There is surely something to be said about old man strength. We turned it into a fun competition with log carrying and the like.
Thirteen-year-old “Big” John attempted to pick up a log, but couldn’t quite get it. That left the door open for me to prove that the “old men” still have it, so to speak.
When my fellow old man saw me attempting to pick up the log, he told me I was going to hurt my back and not to do it.
I picked it up and headed toward the fire. Connie said it was too heavy.
When I was about half-way to the fire, I had to drop it.
We did so many logs it was hard to count. Both my friend and I have had bad backs in the past.
We thought surely, we would be hurting and stiff the next day.
But God was really good toward us. He provided the extra strength, and pain free at that, because I, no doubt, needed it and prayed for it.
I found the following verse the next day: “Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103:5)
Well, “Praise the Lord,” I thought.
He helped me after I called on Him. I didn’t even experience soreness the next day.
It was also a good lesson for the boys and me. We learned it is much better to help somebody in need rather than going to play disc golf.
We experienced a lot of guy camaraderie during the day, which is good for the boys.
On many occasions, it was only teamwork that enabled us to accomplish tasks. We prayed about certain aspects of the work, and God came through for us.
In one instance, a large branch had fallen off another tree near the roadway. My 15-year-old son and I went to clear it from the tree and bring it to the road.
The branch was long and heavy, and we could hardly budge it. But prayer was the answer. God provided an idea that enabled us to move it together a little at a time.
My son said we should just get the chainsaw and make it easier. But I wanted him to see that we could pray and work hard to get it.
As we began to make strides, Jeremiah’s attitude changed and we maneuvered the large branch near the roadway to be hauled off.
The big fire where all the logs and branches were taken was also cool to witness. It was raging and hot.
On occasion, we had to get close to pick up logs that fell off and throw them back in.
The heat was hard to take. My friend’s arms had red burn marks from being close for too long.
The next night when I was preaching, thoughts came to me about the fire’s intensity. Surely, hell and the lake of fire will be even hotter. It was just a matter of seconds we could approach our wood fire.
Eternity in the lake of fire for those whose sin is not forgiven through the blood of Christ came to mind.
An admission ticket gets people into an event or game. But a ticket can also get you out of somewhere (i.e., my musical skill is the ticket to get me out of this place).
Accepting Jesus and walking with Him is our ticket to heaven and also our escape from the lake of fire that was created for the devil and his angels.
Jesus is also the ticket to so much more – peace, joy, a relationship with God, the absence of fear and oppression, etc.
