| The Father's Gift A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted at 20. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, in the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study and told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold. Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible. Many years passed and the young man was a very successful businessman. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away and had willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things. When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse: Matthew 7:11 "And if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father, who is in heaven, give to those who ask Him?" As he read those words, a car key dropped form the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words PAID IN FULL. How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected? |
| O Lord, Thou hast searched me and know [me.] Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar. Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down, And art intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, Thou dost know it all. Thou hast enclosed me behind and before, And laid Thy hand upon me. [Such] knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is [too] high, I cannot attain to it. (Psalm 139: 1~6) 耶和華啊, 你已經鑒察我, 認識我. 我坐下, 我起來, 你都曉得; 你從遠處知道我的意念. 我行路, 我躺臥, 你都細察; 你也深知我一切所行的. 耶和華啊, 我舌頭上的話, 你沒有一句不知道的. 你在我前後環繞我, 按手在我身上. 這樣的知識奇妙, 是我不能測的, 至高, 是我不能及的. (詩篇 139:1~6) |
 |
|
|
|