The Noise is Suppressing the Truth

 

A man who had just purchased his first house in the country came into town and asked the owner of a restaurant if he could use a million frog legs. With suspicion the proprietor asked where he could find so many frogs. “I’ve got a pond at home just full of frogs,” the homeowner replied. “They’re driving me crazy with their crooking day and night.” It wasn’t long before the two came to an agreement for several hundred of the frog legs to be delivered over a specific period of time. The men went back home with a smile on his face and visions of grandeur in his head. One week later the restaurant owner was waiting with great anticipation when the owner of the frog sanctuary showed up. With a rather coy attitude and a sheepish look on his face the frog wrangler approached the restaurant owner holding two scrawny frogs in his hands. “I guess I was wrong,” he said. “I’ve grossly overestimated the size of my frog herd. All I found were just these two frogs in the pond - but they sure were making a lot of noise!” I tell that to say this. There’s a lot of croaking going on in the world today and most of it has much to do about nothing. If one would just investigate where all the noise is coming from you’ll discover a very small pond full of money and a few schemers’ screaming about how bad this or that is and it will continue until either the money runs out or the rest of us give in. Don’t assume the worst just because someone with a notable name squawks.

One day a teenage boy, a weakling who was ridiculed by all the other boys in the area, rescued a newborn calf by picking it up and carrying it to the barn. The next day the boy held the calf in his arms to comfort it and befriend it. The boy continued that practice day after day. Since the calf’s weight increased only a little each day, the youth didn’t notice he was lifting an even greater weight. As the calf grew larger, he got stronger. Eventually, the farm boy was lifting a full-sized bull, and was hailed as the strongest boy in five counties. Lol. It has been said that ‘success is the result of working hard, playing hard, and keeping your mouth shut’. The Book of Proverbs reads: “Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent” (Proverbs 17:28 NASB). One travels further in life by quietly moving forward.

[John 17:14-15] “I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” Why doesn’t the Lord just take us out of this crooked and perverse world as soon as we are saved? (Acts 2:40-41). He has a purpose for us here! *We are here for His sake. He wants us to continue the work He himself started. He described that work in Luke 19:10 as seeking and saving the lost. He said in John 20:21, “…As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” * We remain here for the sake of others. Most people in this world are not interested in their own spiritual welfare. The god of this world has blinded their minds to keep them from seeing the danger they are in. So we remain in the world to carry the Gospel (The Good News) to as many people as possible. * We are here for our own sake. The Christian life is a maturing process. We must “…grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). This world is our schoolroom throughout our lifetime. The Gospel doesn’t promise escape from problems, but power to overcome them (Philippians 4:13). “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Listen to those who love and obey God (1 John 5:1-5).