The Rock of Faith

The Rock of Faith

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly he heard a Voice that trembled like the thunder. It was God’s voice and He told the man He had work for him to do. He showed the man a large rock in front of his cabin. God explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. This the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might. 

Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain. Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, Satan decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the man’s weary mind:

            “You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn’t budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it.”

Thus he gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man.

“Why kill myself over this?” the man thought. “I’ll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort and that will be good enough.”

And that was his plan, until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to God.

“God”, he said, “I have labored long and hard in Your service, putting all my strength to do that which You have asked, yet all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?”

God responded compassionately.

“My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me, with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewed and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven’t moved the rock.

But your calling was to be obedient and to push, and to exercise your faith and trust in My Wisdom.

 This you have done. I, My friend, will now move the rock!”