With a Focus on 40-days of Prayer & Fasting… Day-38/40 (95% Complete)

• Genesis 15:5 (NKJV) Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

One day I received a frantic call from a father that was extremely upset about some bad choices his son was making. I patiently listened and then when he had finished I asked him if he’d ever done anything similar to what his boy was doing. There was a short pause and then a reluctant answer of “Yes”. Then I responded, “You’ve turned out pretty well, haven’t you?”

It was like the frantic worry leaked out and peace came rushing in. When I got that father to look at the moment through the lens of the big picture it helped him get perspective.

What the son was doing was definitely not wise, but unfortunately, one of the major ways we learn wisdom in life is by making foolish decisions. Knowing this young man and knowing his father, I had every reason to believe that he’d land on his feet one day – and thankfully he has.

Here’s the point: Don’t allow the pressure and pain of the moment to blind you to the process. Think “Big Picture.” The path to success and significance is paved with failure, trouble and problems. You don’t learn how to succeed in life from a text book or from hiding in your basement to dodge trouble, you learn by getting out there and taking your fair share of hard knocks and setbacks. Don’t become discouraged, the big picture looks great; God is still in control and still working all things together for your good.