Be a Bounce-Back Person

Today's Scripture
"So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold…" (I Peter 1:6-7, NLT).

Today's Word with Joel and Victoria
We all face disappointments and setbacks. Life is full of things that try to push us down. Maybe you got bad news concerning your health. A relationship didn't work out. Maybe you lost your job. It was a setback. When we face setbacks, it's easy to get discouraged or lose our enthusiasm. Too often we are tempted to just settle where we are. But if we're going to see God's best, we have to have a bounce-back mentality. That means when you get knocked down, you don't stay down. You get back up again. It means when disappointments come, you shake them off knowing that what the enemy meant for your harm God is going to turn around and use for your good.

When you're a bounce-back person, you know that adversity is not permanent. Weeping may endure for a night, but you know joy is coming in the morning. There is wonderful joy ahead on the other side of this trial. Keep standing, keep believing, and choose to be a bounce-back person because you are coming out better off than you were before! You are rising higher, and you will fulfill the destiny God has in store for you!

A Prayer for Today
Father in heaven, I choose to set my focus on You. I know that You are turning things around in my favor. I choose to stand and believe Your promises. Thank You for Your faithfulness in my life. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Joel Osteen

Three Trees

Once upon a mountaintop, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up.

The first little tree looked up at the stars twinkling like diamonds above him. "I want to hold treasure," he said. "I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones.  I will be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!"

The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on its way to the ocean. "I want to be a strong sailing ship," he said. "I want to travel mighty waters and carry powerful kings.  I will be the strongest ship in the world!"

The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. "I don't want to leave this mountaintop at all," she said. "I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me they will raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world!"

Years passed. The rains came, the sun shone, and the little trees grew tall.

One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain. The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful.  It is perfect for me."  With a swoop of his shining axe, the first tree fell. "Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest," thought the first tree.  "I shall hold wonderful treasures."

The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is strong.  It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining axe, the second tree fell.  "Now I shall sail mighty waters," thought the second tree.  "I shall be a strong ship fit for kings!"

The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way.  She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven.  But the woodcutter never even looked up.  "Any kind of tree will do for me," he muttered.  With a swoop of his shining axe, the third tree fell.

The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought him to a carpenter's shop.  But the busy carpenter was not thinking about treasure chests.  Instead, his work-worn hands fashioned the tree into a feed box for animals.  The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold or filled with treasure.  He was coated with sawdust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals.

The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took him to a shipyard, but no mighty ships were being made that day.  Instead, the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. Too small and too weak to sail an ocean or even a river, he was taken to a little lake.  Every day he brought in loads of dead, smelly fish.

The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard.  "What happened?" the once tall tree wondered.  "All I ever wanted to do was stay on the mountaintop and point to God."

Many days and nights passed.  The three trees nearly forgot their dreams.  But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box.  "I wish I could make a cradle for Him," her husband whispered.  The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and sturdy wood.

"This manger is beautiful," she said.  And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.

Years passed.  One evening, a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat.  The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake.  Soon a thundering and crashing storm arose.  The little tree shuddered.  He knew he did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the wind and rain.

The tired man awakened.  He stood up, stretched out his hand and said, "Peace!"  The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun.  And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the King of heaven and earth.

One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten woodpile.  She flinched as she was carried through an angry, jeering crowd.  She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hands to her.  She felt ugly and harsh and cruel.

But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything.

It had made the first tree beautiful.

It had made the second tree strong.

And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God.