Some years ago there was a certain farmer who owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands to help maintain his farm. Unfortunately for him, most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic; they dreaded the awful storms that raged the ocean front, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.
As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he encountered only negative responses. Finally, when he had all but given up hope of ever finding help, there appeared before him a short, thin man, well past middle age.
“I hear that you are looking to hire a farmhand,” said the man.
“Are you a good farmhand?” the farmer asked him.
“Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,” answered the little man.
Although puzzled by the answer, the farmer, desperate for help, decided to hire him. The little man worked industriously around the farm, busying himself from dawn unto dusk, and the observant farmer was well satisfied with his new hireling.
One night a storm came up and the wind swept in from off the ocean, howling boisterously. Being awakened, the farmer jumped out of bed, and grabbing a lantern he rushed next door to the hired hand’s sleeping quarters. He shook the little man, yelling, “Get up! Get up! A storm is coming! We have to tie things down before the storm blows them away!” “No sir,” he replied. “ I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.”
Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot! But there was no time to loose! He hurried outside to try to prepare his farm for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the mules were in their stalls, the chickens were in their coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured upon the windows - everything was tied down. Nothing would blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand had meant when he said, “I can sleep when the wind blows,” so he returned to his bed also, to sleep while the wind swept across the farm.
MORAL: When you’re prepared spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have no reason to be encompassed with doubt or fear. Can you sleep when the fiercest of winds blow through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the oncoming storm. We, as believers in Christ, may find a secure fortress against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God and as we look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
“That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love. ..And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” Eph. 3:16,17,19.
Sleep well!
Father, secure our hearts in the abundance of thy mercies and grant us your Peace that we may be enabled to face the storms of life. In Jesus’ name.
- adapted -
No comments:
Post a Comment