~ RELIGIOUS STORIES - CHRISTIANITY ~

[MysteRy]

Weakness Can Be Strength




A 10-year-old boy decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident. The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn’t understand why, after three months of training the master had taught him only one move.

“Sensei,”(Teacher in Japanese) the boy finally said, “Shouldn’t I be learning more moves?” “This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you’ll ever need to know,” the sensei replied. Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.

Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched.

Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened. “No,” the sensei insisted, “Let him continue.” Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion. On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind.

“Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?”

“You won for two reasons,” the sensei answered. “First, you’ve almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm.” The boy’s biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.

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“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”- 2 Corinthians 12:9

When it comes to life, for some folks their biggest strength becomes their biggest weakness. For example, as Jesus said about the wealthy man, “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” – Matthew 19:24. The eye of the needle was referring to a door in the wall of the city (as it was commonly called) which was too small for a camel to go through, meaning that it was impossible for a person who trusts in his riches—or his fame, personality, power or position—to get into God’s heaven.
On the other hand, when we acknowledge our weaknesses and know that we need to depend on God for guidance, wisdom, discernment, and deliverance from temptation – this can become our greatest strength.

[MysteRy]

Trust God But Tie Your Camel




There was once a man who was on his way back home from market with his camel and, as he had a good day, he decided to stop at a Church along the road and offer his thanks to God.

He left his camel outside and spent several hours offering thanks to God, praying and promising that he will be a good person in the future, help the poor and be a righteous man.

When he emerged it was already dark and behold – his camel was gone!

He immediately flew into a violent temper and shook his fist at the sky, yelling: “God! How could you do this to me? I put all my trust in you and then you have done this to me!”

A passing believer heard the man yelling and chuckled to himself. “Listen”, he said, “Trust God but, you know, tie up your camel.”

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Let go and let God.
Letting go and letting God be in control does not mean that we sit around and do nothing, but rather that we act on the promises of God and live them out.

Trusting God means both that we wait on him for guidance and direction – and it also means that we get going in the direction he points us in. Trusting God means waiting on him for direction, and it also means using the minds and gifts that he has given us to head in that direction.

As long as we head in that direction in his strength and not in our own, as long as we continue to trust him along the way and even let him make mid-course corrections, we can be confident that we are trusting him and walking in his power and not our own.

[MysteRy]

Let God Hold Your Hand




One day you were crossing a bridge with God. You were scared so you asked GOD, “Can I hold your hand so I won’t fall into the river?”

GOD said, “No my child, I should hold your hand…”

You asked, “What’s the difference?”

GOD replied, “If you hold my hand and something happens, you might let go. If I hold your hand, no matter what happens, I’ll never let go….”

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It is not GOD who let go and distance himself from us, it is us.

Sometimes we get so caught up in our lives that we forget HE is there! But GOD loves us. He is steadfast and faithful. As the Bible says, For God said,“I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.” – Hebrews 13:5

The question is not “Are you holding on to God’s hand?”
but
“Are you letting God hold your hand?”

Is He holding my hand? YES. Will you let Him hold yours?

[MysteRy]

Value What You Have : The Song Of The Birds Story

The owner of a small business, a friend of the poet Olavo Bilac, met him on the street and asked him: “Mr.Bilac, I need to sell my small farm, the one you know so well. Could you please write an announcement for me for the paper?”

Bilac wrote: “For Sale, a beautiful property, where birds sing at dawn in extensive woodland, bisected by the brilliant and sparkling waters of a large stream. The house is bathed by the rising sun. It offers tranquil shade in the evenings on the veranda.”

Some time later, the poet met his friend and asked whether he had sold the property? To which he replied: “I’ve changed my mind when I read what you had written, I realized the treasure that was mine.”

Appreciate What You Have

Sometimes we underestimate the good things we have, chasing after the miracles of false treasures. We often see people letting go of their children, families, spouses, friends, profession, their knowledge – accumulated over many years, their good health & all the good things in life. They throw out the window what God has given them, so freely! Things which were nourished with so much care & effort.

Look around, appreciate what you have: your home, loved ones, friends whom you can really count, the knowledge you have gained, your good health & all the beautiful things of life, that are truly your most precious treasure.We can no longer shower kindness on those we love after they have died. It is useless to want to re-do the work that we may have done negligently. It’s best to appreciate and do things well now!

Ask God at every moment that our problems & concerns never degenerate into feelings of sadness & anxiety. “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) Be in union with God, who will provide the courage needed to be certain of victory in the struggle, cause God will give with abundance what we need.

We are all imperfect. Always praise & value your loved ones. Do all you can to make it even better. See what you can do to improve your environment instead of complaining. Instead of isolating yourself, because of weakness or failure, seek to invest in true & constructive friendship in your life.

Faith in God is necessary to strengthen self-esteem, in dealing with daily problems.

BE WITH GOD & MAY GOD BE WITH YOU!

[MysteRy]

Will God Forgive My Grave Sins?




Have you ever committed a grave sin? Are you doubting whether God will forgive your grave sins?Are you in doubts and have not done a confession for a long time, or not believing in confession?

I would like to share something that helped me to give importance to confession and changed my life to see things differently, trusting the Lord who is always there waiting for our call to guide us.

The Story of God’s Forgiveness
Once there was a wealthy young man, God-fearing in nature who got married to a beautiful young lady. Both were very happy but the woman even though she was provided with everything the world could give was not happy. The man being a good person gave everything to make her happy but still she would always be disturbed and unhappy. He showed her to the best doctors, councillors, took her to different exotic places around the world but nothing could change her.

One fine day, there was a preacher who had come to their parish to give a retreat and this man took his wife for blessing and counselling. The only thing that the wife said was she has committed a great sin in the past before marriage for which she had confess and that she is sure even after confession it cannot be forgiven. Understanding her concern the father told the lady to come along with him for a walk by the river side that evening.

While walking on the banks of the river the preacher took this opportunity to tell her to pretend that they are talking to God and confessing their sins to God. And as a penance God is asking them to pick up a stone equivalent to the size of their sin and to throw the stone in the sea. The preacher takes a small stone to the size of his sin and throws it in the water asking the lady what she saw in the water. She replied that there was a noise with a small splash and the stone slowly sank in the river.

Now was the turn of the lady to do the same and the preacher said; knowing her sin he will help her carry a big stone that she chooses to throw. Picking up the huge stone they did the same as the preacher had done, threw the stone in the sea. Once again the preacher questioned the lady asking her to describe what she saw. This time also her answer was the same but it made a very big noise with a huge splash of water so big that they were wet and the stone went into the sea sinking slowly with calmness coming to the river once again.

Keeping the experiment in mind the preacher compared the woman sin saying even though both of them had different stone to the size of their sins once thrown into the seas both could not be seen and that after the stones sank they brought calmness once again.

Nature of God’s Forgiveness

The is what the preacher made the women understand that once we confess our sins to God they are surely forgiven, no matter how big or dangerous they may be, never to be seen again.Just as the east and the west cannot meet each other, the same way God also forgives our sins never to look back at them again.

Once the woman understood this formula and changed the way she was thinking, there was great rejoicing and happiness in her married life and she was able to love her husband like never before. We need to guard our spoken word to receive only by saying what we desire to have which is acceptable and pleasing to God.

So my friends, please remember:However grave your sins maybe, the infinite kindness and love of our Lord will erase even your gravest sins forever, once you confess your sins truly and wholeheartedly to God.

[MysteRy]

The Nail




As the story goes, they built a new church building and people came from far and wide to see it. They admired its beauty! Up on the roof, a little nail heard the people praising everything about the lovely structure-except the nail! No one even knew he was there, and he became angry and jealous.

“If I am that insignificant, nobody will miss me if I quit!” So the nail then released its hold, slid down the roof, and fell in the mud.

That night it rained and rained. Soon, the shingle that had no nail blew away, and the roof began to leak. The water streaked the walls and the beautiful murals. The plaster began to fall, the carpet was stained, and the pulpit Bible was ruined by water. All this because a little nail decided to quit!

But what of the nail? While holding the shingle, it was obscure but it was also useful. Buried in the mud it was just as obscure, but now it was useless and would soon be eaten up by rust!

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The moral of the story: EVERY MEMBER IS IMPORTANT TO THE CHURCH!
You may, like the nail, feel obscure at times, but just like the nail, your absence is felt. When you are not present for worship, in some way the body of Christ hurts. We are ALL a part of the Lord’s ministry.

[MysteRy]

Why Go To Church?




A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. ‘I’ve gone for 30 years now,’ he wrote, ‘and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them. So, I think I’m wasting my time and the priests are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.’

This started a real controversy in the ‘Letters to the Editor’ column. Much to the delight of the editor, it went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: ‘I’ve been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals.

But I do know this… They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today.
Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!’

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When you are DOWN to nothing….God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible!

Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

[MysteRy]

The Gift of Self




Once there was a wise king who cared for his people so much that he wanted to know how they lived. He dressed himself in rags and, night after night, sat with a poor man who lived alone under a bridge. There they’d share dinner that they scavenged from a garbage dump nearby. Soon, the poor man looked forward to the evenings because of the stranger’s company.

One night, the king decided to finally reveal his true identity. In full regalia, he went with the royal entourage to visit the poor man. ”What do you want to ask of me?” inquired the benevolent ruler. He expected the man to ask for wealth or a decent home or a place of privilege in the king’s court. Instead, the poor man replied, “You’ve showered others with your wealth, but to me, you’ve given yourself!”

Reflection:
This is the story of our lives. Jesus is Emmanuel, meaning “God is with us.” Rulers of this world can give us wealth but only He gave us His very self. He left His throne in heaven and took on flesh to be one of us. There’s no greater gift than that.

[MysteRy]

Why Should We Never Fear Death?




Barbara was driving her six-year-old son, Benjamin, to his piano lesson. They were late, and Barbara was beginning to think she should have cancelled it. There was always so much to do, and Barbara, a night-duty nurse at the local hospital, had recently worked extra shifts. She was tired. The sleet storm and icy roads added to her tension. Maybe she should turn the car around.

“Mom!” Ben cried. “Look!” Just ahead, a car had lost control on a patch of ice. As Barbara tapped the brakes, the other car spun wildly rolled over, then crashed sideways into a telephone pole. Barbara pulled over, skidded to a stop and threw open her door. Thank goodness she was a nurse – she might be able to help these unfortunate passengers. Then she paused. What about Ben? She couldn’t take him with her. Little boys shouldn’t see scenes like the one she anticipated. But was it safe to leave him alone? What if their car were hit from behind?

For a brief moment Barbara considered going on her way. Someone else was sure to come along. No! “Ben, honey, promise me you’ll stay in the car!” “I will, Mommy,” he said as she ran, slipping and sliding toward the crash site. It was worse than she’d feared.

Two girls of high school age are in the car. One, the blond on the passenger side, was dead, killed on impact. The driver, however was still breathing. She was unconscious and pinned in the wreckage. Barbara quickly applied pressure to the wound in the teenager’s head while her practiced eye catalogued the other injuries. A broken leg, maybe two, along with probable internal bleeding. But if help came soon, the girl would live.

A trucker had pulled up and was calling for help on his cellular phone. Soon Barbara heard the ambulance sirens. A few moments later she surrendered her lonely post to rescue workers. “Good job,” one said as he examined the driver’s wounds. “You probably saved her life, ma’am.” Perhaps. But as Barbara walked back to her car a feeling of sadness overwhelmed her, especially for the family of the girl who had died. Their lives would never be the same.Oh, God, why do such things have to happen?

Slowly Barbara opened her car door. What should she tell Benjamin? He was staring at the crash site, his blue eyes huge. “Mom,” he whispered, “did you see it?” “See what, Honey?” she asked. “The angel, Mom! He came down from the sky while you were running to the car. And he opened the door, and he took that girl out.”

Barbara’s eyes filled with tears. “Which door, Ben?” “The passenger side. He took the girl’s hand, and they floated up to Heaven together” “What about the driver?” Ben shrugged. “I didn’t see anyone else.”

Later, Barbara was able to meet the families of the victims. They expressed their gratitude for the help she had provided. Barbara was able to give them something more – Ben’s vision.

There was no way he could have known what happened to either of the passengers. Nor could the passenger door have been opened; Barbara had seen its tangle of immovable steel herself. Yet Ben’s account brought consolation to a grieving family. Their daughter was safe in Heaven. And they would see her again.

[MysteRy]

Add God’s Name




Add God’s Name in our daily life. Have you ever come across problems in life that are seemingly insurmountable? Then read on.

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One rich man owned 19 horses when he died. In his last will and testament he had written that upon his death, half the horses he owned should go to his only son; one fourth to the village temple and one fifth to the faithful servant. The village elders could not stop scratching their heads. How can they give half of the 19 horses to the son? You cannot cut up a horse. They puzzled over this dilemma for more than two weeks and then decided to send for a wise man who was living in a neighboring village.

The wise man came riding on his horse and asked the villagers if he can be of any help to them. The village elders told him about the rich man’s last will and testament which stated that half of the (19) horses must be given to his only son, one fourth must go to the temple and one fifth to the faithful servant.

The wise man said he will immediately solve their problem without any delay whatsoever. He had the 19 horses placed in a row standing next to one another. Then he added his own horse as the 20th horse. Now he went about giving half of the 20 horses that is ten horses to the son. One fourth of 20-that is 5 horses were given to the temple committee. One fifth of twenty-that is 4 horses were given to the faithful servant. Ten plus five plus four made 19 horses. The remaining 20th horse was his own which he promptly mounted, spoke a few inspiring words, and rode back home.

The villagers were simply dumbfounded, full of disbelief and filled with admiration. And the parting words of the wise man were inscribed in their hearts and minds which they greatly cherished and passed on to their succeeding generations till today.

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The wise man said: In our daily lives, in our daily affairs, simply add God’s name and then go about facing the day’s happenings.Ever come across problems in life that are seemingly insurmountable? (Like the villagers, do we feel that such problems cannot be solved?).

The wise man continued:Add the God Principle in our daily lives and the problems will become lighter and eventually will disappear.In the manner of the ice which, with the addition of the heat principle will turn into water, and that will eventually evaporate as steam and disappear.

And how do we add God’s name in our daily lives?
Through prayers, filled with true love and devotion with sincerity of purpose and dedication that only total faith can bring about. Meditation is a powerful means of directing the mind Godward. But without true love and devotion entering into it, it remains like a boat without water. It is not difficult to push a boat that is floating in water, but extremely hard to drag the same boat on dry land.

So start adding God’s Name in our daily lives.

[MysteRy]

Burdens Give Us Wings




An old legend relates that long ago God had a great many burdens which He wished to have carried from one place to another on earth, so He asked the animals to lend a hand. But all of them began to make excuses for not helping: the elephant was too dignified; the lion, too proud; and so on.

Finally the birds came to God and said, “If you will tie the burdens into small bundles, we’ll be glad to carry them for you. We are small but we would like to help.”

So God fastened upon the back of each one a small bundle, and they all set out walking across the plain to their destination. They sang as they went, and did not seem to feel the weight of their burdens at all. Every day the burdens seemed lighter and lighter, until the loads seems to be lifting the birds, instead of the birds carrying the burdens.

When they arrived at their destination, they discovered that when they removed their loads, there were wings in their place, wings which enabled them to fly to the sky and the tree tops. They had learned how to carry their burdens, and their loads had become wings to carry them nearer to God.

Burdens we carry for others may become wings of the spirit, to lift us into happiness such as we have never known.

[MysteRy]

Letting Go Of Wooden Apples




There once was a happy monkey wandering the jungle, eating delicious fruit when hungry, and resting when tired. One day he came upon a house, where he saw a bowl of the most beautiful apples. He took one in each hand and ran back into the forest.

He sniffed the apples and smelled nothing. He tried to eat them, but hurt his teeth. They were made of wood, but they were beautiful, and when the other monkeys saw them, he held onto them even tighter.

He admired his new possessions proudly as he wandered the jungle. They glistened red in the sun, and seemed perfect to him. He became so attached to them, that he didn’t even notice his hunger at first.

A fruit tree reminded him, but he felt the apples in his hands. He couldn’t bear to set them down to reach for the fruit. In fact, he couldn’t relax, either, if he was to defend his apples. A proud, but less happy monkey continued to walk along the forest trails.

The apples became heavier, and the poor little monkey thought about leaving them behind. He was tired, hungry, and he couldn’t climb trees or collect fruit with his hands full. What if he just let go?

Letting go of such valuable things seemed crazy, but what else could he do? He was so tired. Seeing the next fruit tree, and smelling it’s fruit was enough. He dropped the wooden apples and reached up for his meal. He was happy again.

Letting Go Of Wooden Apples

Like that little monkey, we sometimes carry things that seem too valuable to let go. A man carries an image of himself as “productive” - carries it like a shiny wooden apple. But in reality, his busyness leaves him tired, and hungry for a better life. Still, letting go seems crazy. Even his worries are sacred apples – they prove he’s ”doing everything he can.” He holds onto them compulsively.

This is a hard thing to see. We identify so strongly with our things even, feeling pain when our cars are dented. How much more powerfully will God identify us with our Faith & and God’s commandments? ? Have you obeyed them ? but we have always searched after vain pleasures to make us happy , Yet they don’t always feed our souls, do they? And we become tired of defending them.

How else could the story end?

The monkey might be found dead of hunger, under a beautiful tree, with fruit within reach, but still grasping his wooden apples.

I chose to end it with him letting go, because only with open hands can we receive anything , Ask God & He will give you more greater riches.

[MysteRy]

Each Of Us Has A Role To Play




Each of us has a role to play in rescuing those who are drowning in sin. Read this beautiful story.

Walking through the forest, a seasoned hiker came upon a broad, slowly moving river. He stopped to gaze over the waters, appreciating the beauty, when suddenly he heard a faint cry coming from upstream. Looking in the direction of the noise, he saw an obviously drowning man floundering in the river and drifting slowly toward him.

The hiker was stunned momentarily, but he sprang into action when he saw the man disappear beneath the waters. Throwing off all of his cumbersome gear, he dove into the river and swam like a madman toward the spot where the man went under.

Upon reaching the spot he plunged below the surface and frantically hauled up the helpless man. He then laboriously towed the victim to shore. Heaving the lifeless body up on the riverbank, the hiker attempted to revive the man, who eventually spit up water and began to breathe.

Relieved, the hiker paused to catch his breath. But no sooner had he done so than he heard another voice out on the water. Another drowning person! Once again he swam out and pulled the person to shore, a little more slowly this time. As the hiker-turned-lifeguard revived the second victim, he heard yet another cry for help.

All day long the hiker worked, rescuing one person after another as they came drifting down the river. There seemed to be no end of drowning victims, and the hiker didn’t think he could keep it up.

Just when he was about to collapse from exhaustion, he spotted another man walking rapidly beside the river, headed upstream. “Hey mister!” he cried out. “Please help me! These poor people are drowning!” Amazingly, the man kept walking upstream. The astonished hiker called out again.

Without even acknowledging the cry, the man kept going. Indignant and angry, the hiker leapt to his feet, ran toward the uncompassionate man, stood directly in his path, and in a loud voice demanded, “Sir! How can you possibly walk past all these drowning people? Have you no conscience? Must I force you to help me save these people?”

The stranger stopped, looked at him for the first time and said with a calm, focused voice, “Sir, please get out of my way. I am headed upstream to stop the guy who is pushing all these people in.”

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Each of us has a role to play in rescuing those who are drowning in sin. Some of us pull people from the water and resuscitate them with counseling, food and shelter, a rehabilitation program, a support group, or financial aid. Affirm those doing these important ministries.

Others of us find our place of ministry upstream, opposing the one pushing people into the river. We do this by introducing those people to Jesus Christ. Knowing Christ sets a person free from sin and releases them from Satan’s power over them.

By itself, pulling people from the water isn’t enough. We need to help people deal with the problem of sin at its source.

[MysteRy]

Avalanche Of Blessing




One day, two men were walking home. All of a sudden, it started to rain. Really hard. Because both of them didn’t have an umbrella, the two guys got soaking wet.

After a few minutes of torrential rain, the first man cursed. “God, what have I done to deserve this bad fortune?” he growled, hurling his fist to the sky. “Why are you punishing me? I’m minding my own business here, walking home, when You had to make it rain!”. But the second man’s response was totally different. He began to skip, dance, and sing like Gary V in a concert. “Yeepee! Life is wonderful!” he hollered.

With venom in his voice, the first man asked, “What are you so happy about? Can’t you see we’re wet as frogs in a swamp!” The second man said, “My dear friend, I’m a farmer. The rain is nourishing my crops. I will have a bountiful harvest this year!”

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It was the same rain, the same amount of water pelting their bodies, but the two men had two very different reactions. Why? Because one person prepared for the rain and another didn’t.

There is always an avalanche of blessing that will flow into your life. Financial blessings. Spiritual blessings. They pour like a rampaging river over you. But will you be ready for their coming? If you won’t be ready, you’ll just curse. But who will praise? The person who has planted great seeds in his life. How will you do that?

Here are the three kinds of seeds that you need to plant:-
1)    Seeds of Desire
2)    Seeds of Belief
3)    Seeds of Action
God wants to bless you abundantly. But you need to learn how to be ready to receive those blessings.

[MysteRy]

Hope in the midst of Storm




I remember a true incident that took place during World War II when the German soldiers were preparing to attack the city of Holland.

There lived an old lady with her only son in Holland. This lady had great faith in God from her very young age and looked unto God alone for everything she needed. She also taught her son to trust in God.

One day she heard on the radio that the German soldiers are all set to attack the city that night and destroy it. The son, trembled with fear, asked her mom how God would let such a thing happen to someone who trusted in Him. Their house was at the entrance of the city and there was no way for them to escape the destruction.

The mother, still strong in her faith, knelt down on her knees and prayed. She assured her son that God will protect them.

That night, they heard great explosions outside the house. They also heard the soldiers marching outside entering each home and destroying it. To their surprise, not one soldier entered their house. They sat awake until dawn and by early morning German soldiers passed Holland.

Then they went out to see why the soldiers surpassed their house without causing them any harm. Ah!! What a great scene to see, their home was completely covered with snow throughout the night.

God had covered them with His protection throughout the night so that the soldiers could not see their house…

That’s how God works in a wonderful way, above our thoughts,
To protect those who love Him and those who trust in Him…