I HAVE A HOPE
I have a hope......a dream really, a vision, a purpose. I believe my children will change this world. I really do. It is not good enough for me to merely believe and hope they will be “saved”. No, for that I will not die to my own flesh, I will not stay up all night, nor would I give my life. But for my vision to be fulfilled I will. Raising children for Jesus is probably the highest calling there is, whether it be one child or a dozen. And speaking of dozens of children, once you realize what Jesus is giving you, you’ll want as many as He is willing to give. Would any true believer turn down someone who came to their door and said, “I want to get saved, will you help me?” Let me share with you a parable the Lord recently gave me. Suppose there was a “miracle tree” that had fruit that would heal any disease, any heartache, any problem, not a drug or potion, or quick-fix, but true healing that would last forever. And suppose out of all the people in the world you were chosen to be the recipient of one of these trees in seedling form. You are chosen not because of your ability or good looks or financial status. You are chosen because the developer of these trees is someone who loves you, really loves you. You are chosen simply because of that love. With the seedling comes an instruction book with very specific instructions. You hope that you are worthy of such an honor. You take the seedling and prepare just the perfect soil. The seedling is planted and cared for and watered. It is fed just the right nutrients at just the right times. It is put in the warm sun, and sheltered from the storms. You plant beside it a stronger stem, a stake to hold it up until it no longer bends the wrong way. You desire it to grow straight and strong. The goal is to produce much fruit, and to please the developer who entrusted you with such a precious gift. As it grows it begins to develop precious fruit, small at first but significant, it still has all the power that the mature fruit will have. In order to encourage more fruit, you must prune as necessary. This tree, this task, becomes very high on your priority list and you gladly give it your attention. As the tree matures it sends forth deep roots. The strength you see in the tree encourages you further, the fruit you see encourages you more, you can hardly wait for harvest time! Each year the harvest gets better and better, until finally the tree is heavy with fruit. People everywhere are healed and the developer of the tree is made famous, people everywhere praise him! You have done your job well, and the developer gladly shares his wealth with you. As you have probably figured out by now, the tree is your child, and the developer is the Lord. It is an honor to raise children for Jesus. The reason most people see it as such a burden is because they have no vision, and God’s word says we perish for lack of vision. ( Proverbs 29:18 ) With no vision you won’t stay up all night. With no vision you won’t spend countless hours in prayer and fasting. With no vision you won’t die to your own flesh. With no vision you won’t sacrifice anything. Years ago it was every parents dream for their child to graduate college and become a doctor or lawyer or teacher. Now most parents are happy to just get their child through school alive. We have lost our vision, which is really a good thing because maybe we will finally realize OUR vision is born out of pride. We need HIS vision. Did you notice in the parable that the one who grew the tree got no credit? All accomplishment brought praise to the developer (JESUS). I don’t want a pat on the back, I want to draw attention to the Lord. With His vision we will find fulfillment. Our children are capable of bring Him fruit today, and more so every year. I have seen brand new babies minister to people. I have seen miracles happen when my children pray for people. Yes I have also seen great heartache, and have one child no longer in my arms. But I know he is in the arms of Christ and even today the Lord uses his testimony to minister to many. So it is worth it. The hard work, the countless hours of prayer, the fasting, the hurting, the tears are all worth it. I am rewarded not only by hugs and kisses, smiles and laughter, joy and fulfillment, (these are all part of His wealth) but when it is all said and done I can stand before the Lord and say, “Here I am Lord, I and the children you have given me”. There will not only be our physical children and grandchildren, but also thousands upon thousands of spiritual children and spiritual grandchildren. This will be the fruit we offer to the Lord, not because we must, but because we “get to”. This is revival, He has given us the means to see revival, will we grab HIS vision?
WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED BY GLORYBOUND MINISTRIES
reprints encouraged as long as content is not changed and this notice is included, and we are notified, thanks!!
JIM & PENNY RAINE
P.O. BOX 550
Mt Pleasant TN 38474
(931) 379-9244
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