Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Change”
Our Bible verse for today: “The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. Lord, Your love is eternal; do not abandon the work of Your hands.” Psalm 138:8 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Change takes time.”
One of my favorite movies of all time is “The Karate Kid”. Daniel La Russo is the new kid in town. He’s a bit undersized and unsure of himself and predictably, the target of some local bullies (bullies who also happen to be students of a karate master who himself is a bully and who teaches the kids to be bullies too). Daniel is befriended by Mr. Miyagi, who is a wise and elderly Japanese man who also happens to be a quiet and unassuming karate master as well. Throughout the course of the movie, Mr. Miyagi teaches karate to Daniel and turns him into a level-headed but confident young man who is now able to defend himself against the bullies. Ultimately he even defeats the leader of the bullies in a karate match.
My favorite scene in the movie occurs at a point where young Daniel is impatient for results in his development and is voicing some frustration about it. The ever-wise Mr. Miyagi gives him a long slow look and says, “Patience grasshopper …” and he then goes on to teach Daniel an important lesson about the fact that development in anything worthwhile takes time, patience, and perseverance.
Sometimes I think I can hear Jesus saying that to me. “Patience grasshopper, your development will come. Just continue doing what you’re doing and give it time.” And like Daniel, the up and coming karate kid, I sigh and roll my eyes, and then get on with doing what I know I need to do.
Psalm 138:8 is actually and Old Testament version of Philippians 1:6 where Paul writes, “I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (HCSB)
The fact is that change takes time. God is at work in you and He is in the process of transforming you into the person He wants you to be, but great works take a long time to complete. The greater the work, the longer it takes. You are one of God’s greatest works, one of His masterpieces. Therefore His work in you, and the changes He is in the process of bringing about in you, take time.
Patience grasshopper … your development will come.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 