Can We See the Big Picture

I want to share this story with you this morning. It comes from one of my textbooks but it was really good so and it makes this point really well.

A holy man is having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, “Lord I would like to know what heaven and hell are like.” The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors, and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large, round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man’s mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly and appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms, and each was able to reach into the pot of stew and take out a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back to their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, “You have seen Hell.

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was a large round table, with a large pot of stew that made the holy man’s mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, “I do not understand.”

“It is simple,” said the Lord. “It requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed one another, while the greedy think only of themselves.”

That’s good you have to admit it. We find an example of this in Joshua 1:1-11, Moses has died and God is now going to use Joshua to lead the people.

¹ After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: ² “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. ³ I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. ⁴ Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. ⁵ No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

⁷ “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸ Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

¹⁰ So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: ¹¹ “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get your provisions ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you for your own.’”

Moses had taken the time to train Joshua for what laid ahead. In doing so he was able to be used by God. We must as Christians be willing to train others to carry on the work that we are doing. Scripture teaches us to bear one another up and to live worthy of our calling. Without opportunities to grow we will never be able to do the work when it comes our time. We must be willing to share our calling with the next generation so that the Church can still do its work. Sometimes that means letting someone else learn from you. Have a blessed day in the Lord.