A Story with a Lesson
The donkey told the tiger, “The grass is blue.”
The tiger replied, “No, the grass is green.”
The discussion became heated, and the two decided to submit the issue to arbitration, so they approached the lion.
As they approached the lion on his throne, the donkey started screaming: ′′Your Highness, isn’t it true that the grass is blue?”
The lion replied: “If you believe it is true, the grass is blue.”
The donkey rushed forward and continued: ′′The tiger disagrees with me, contradicts me and annoys me. Please punish him.”
The king then declared: ′′The tiger will be punished with 3 days of silence.”
The donkey jumped with joy and went on his way, content and repeating ′′The grass is blue, the grass is blue…”
The tiger asked the lion, “Your Majesty, why have you punished me, after all, the grass is green?”
The lion replied, ′′You’ve known and seen the grass is green.”
The tiger asked, ′′So why do you punish me?”
The lion replied, “That has nothing to do with the question of whether the grass is blue or green.
The punishment is because it is degrading for a brave, intelligent creature like you to waste time arguing with an ass, and on top of that, you came and bothered me with that question just to validate something you already knew was true!”
The biggest waste of time is arguing with the fool and fanatic who doesn’t care about truth or reality, but only the victory of his beliefs and illusions.
Never waste time on discussions that make no sense. There are people who, for all the evidence presented to them, do not have the ability to understand.
Others who are blinded by ego, hatred and resentment, and the only thing that they want is to be right even if they aren’t.
Source: https://successminded.co/the-donkey-and-the-tiger/
Only You!
In this story, a king entered his garden one morning and found everything withered and dying. He asked the oak that stood near the gate what the trouble was. He found it was sick of life and determined to die because it was not tall and beautiful like the pine. The pine was out of heart because it could not bear grapes like the vine. Likewise, the vine would throw its life away because it could not stand erect and have as delicate fruit as the peach tree. The geranium was fretting because it was not tall, fragrant like the lilac, and so on throughout the garden. Coming to a heart’s-ease, he found its bright face lifted as cheery as ever. “Well, heart, I’m glad, amidst all this discouragement, to find one brave little flower. You do not seem to be the least disheartened.” “No, I am not of much account, but I thought that if you wanted an oak, or a pine, or a peach tree, or a lilac, you would have planted one, but as I knew you wanted a heart’s-ease, I am determined to be the best little heart’s-ease that I can.”
“Others may do a greater work, but you have your part to do, and no one in all God’s heritage can do it so well as you.”
—- copied from Streams in the Desert, Cowman, January 7, pegs 7 & 8
Where We Are Today – A Look At Psalm 4:6
Psalm 4:6
Many are saying, “Who will show us any good?” Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord!
Have you ever wondered, “Who will make things easier for me? Who will ease my burden or the hunger my family faces? Where can I go to get my next fix of pleasure?” Life is hard enough, it seems, and a little pleasure might be what the doctor ordered. Such were the circumstances facing a small country during a civil war. The population was wavering. Even those involved in the military conflict developed doubts about their perspective positions. There were half-hearted men in both camps. What was the right course of action? Though flanked by indecision and various opinions, that did not mean there was inaction. Has a familiar ring?
Honors, riches, or pleasures that nearly all people desire mean very little while people suffer. All these temporal things were light as vanity, fleeting as a soap bubble, thin and unsubstantial as air, floating away as the slightest breeze determines. Too few recognized the need for the favor of God and His approval, both being necessary for the happiness of humanity.
If placed in their situation, would you want to see rather than to believe? For most of us, seeing is preferred before thinking of a solution. It is our tendency. We are fond of drinking the latest cup of pleasing delusions provided readily by overarching governmental imposters. Their drink doesn’t satisfy. All too soon, Despair shows up to be your constant companion. But a true believer drinks from the truth of God’s Word, a fountain that never runs dry. The light of His countenance is enough for that person.
In Numbers 6:24-25, a blessing of the Lord is stated. “The LORD bless you, and keep you; the LORD make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.” In the days ahead, we need the blessings of the Lord, His grace and mercy, and His peace. May the Lord love you and make you know that He loves you. May He be well pleased with you and your obedient service. May you have peace with God, your conscience, and all men.
Fool in his Folly (Deceit)
We have warning in Proverbs 17:12.
”Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, rather than a fool in his folly.”
We can think of ‘folly’ being deceit or the lack of good sense. As fierce a fighter that a mama bear can be, it is better to tangle with her than with a deceitful fool. Allow me to borrow from Prophets and Kings (570, 571) for this statement. H/T: stepstolife.org
It is not our open and avowed enemies that are most to be feared. But those who come with smooth, pleasant words and fair speeches, seeking friendly alliances and bi-partisan agreements, have greater power to deceive. Against such, every person should be on alert; otherwise, some carefully concealed and masterly snare take him unaware.
Such has been the situation for years at all levels of our government. Only now has everyone noticed. What can change a fool? Only God and His saving grace for those that come to Him.
Great Stories! One perspective…
What follows is a conversation that took place many years ago in a far away place. But if we listen carefully to what is being said, we may find ourselves in that same place at this current time.
It is like in the great stories. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end, because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened?
But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you that meant something.
Even if you were too small to understand why. Folks in those stories had lots of chances of turning back. Only they didn’t. They kept going, because they were holding to something. There is some good in this world and it’s worth fighting for.
By now you have probably guessed that this was part of a conversation between Sam and Frodo in the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. You may not recognize this time of our as a “darkness” that we are fighting our way through. Remember that you who are of the faith and believe in Christ and His Word are a light in this darkness. Let not the evil keep us from telling the truth both loudly and clearly. For many are not seeking the truth and few are uncovering it. But don’t let that be said of you most valiant of warriors!
Bill Wyler
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