Daily Devotional for January 28, 2018
Block or Bridge
When Emani and her sister Johannah arrived at their grandparents’ home, the girls immediately went to the barn, looking for their favorite kitten. “Tabby’s not here!” Johannah said. “Let’s see if Grandpa knows where she is.”
“I haven’t seen Tabby today,” Grandpa said when the girls found him. “Yesterday she was playing on the other side of the creek. It was nearly dry then, but after all that rain last night, the water is much higher. Maybe she didn’t get back over here. Come on, kids. I’ll help you find that kitten.”
“Tabby!” Johannah called as they walked along the edge of the creek.
“Here, Tabby!” Emani echoed. As she turned to look across the creek, she tripped on a log. “Ouch! My toe!” She rubbed her foot, then limped along and continued to call Tabby.
“Look!” Grandpa pointed to the other side of the creek. “Over there—is that an animal?”
“It’s Tabby!” shouted Emani.
“How can we get her, Grandpa?” Johannah asked. “The water’s too deep to wade across.”
Grandpa paused to think. “I know. Let’s get that log Emani tripped over and use it as a bridge.”
The girls quickly dragged the log to the edge of the creek. After much tugging and heaving, they had it in place, and Johannah crawled across and got Tabby.
The girls took turns cuddling the shivering, wet kitten in their arms on the way home. “I just thought of something,” Grandpa said as he wrapped Tabby in a blanket once they were inside the house. “Emani could react to tripping over that log in one of two ways. She could be upset because it was a stumbling block and hurt her, or she could thank God for it because it gave us a way to make a bridge over the creek. Which do you think she should do?”
“Thank God for it,” Emani said quickly, hugging Tabby.
“Right,” said Grandpa. “When difficult situations come into our lives, we should remember that God always has a good reason for anything He allows. We need to trust that He’ll use it for good and ask Him what He wants that experience to teach us. Then we should thank Him for using it to help us become more like Jesus.” – Barbara J. Westberg
How about you?
Do you view difficult situations as blocks or bridges? Remember that God loves you and shapes everything that happens to bring people to Him. Ask Him to show you how hard or annoying things you’re dealing with can be bridges instead of stumbling blocks. Then thank Him for using everything in your life to help you share His love with others and bring Him glory.
Today's Verse
All things work together for good to those who love God. Romans 8:28 NKJV
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