Positive Thinking

By Michael Guido

One warm summer day a snail began climbing an apple tree. As he moved upward, he heard a voice calling, “There’s no reason for you to climb this tree. There are no apples up there.” Looking around he saw a worm basking in the warmth of the sun.

Returning his attention to the task before him, the snail shouted back, “There will be when I get up there.”

A great example of positive thinking was Noah. If you recall, “God warned him about something that had never happened before – and by faith – he built an ark to save his family.”

Perhaps no one in history experienced more ridicule and rejection for being different from his neighbors than Noah. God commanded him to build a huge boat in the middle of dry land. This certainly made no sense to him when he got his instructions from God. But, it didn’t matter. He did what God asked Him to do! And, although his behavior seemed strange to his neighbors, it made no difference to him. Being obedient to God did.

God often asks Christians to do things that seem strange to those who do not know Him.  Being obedient to God often makes what we do look odd, perhaps even weird, to those who do not know the Lord. However, whenever God asks us to do something – even strange – He also gives us the ability and courage to overcome the scorn of the skeptics and succeed.

PRAYER: Help us, Lord, to keep our eyes on You and on what You call us to do. Give us faith and persistence to do what You call us to do and never waiver. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY: It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith. Hebrews 11:7