THE DAWN!

Ron Bainbridge
Dec 24, 2019
3 min read

Today’s Message of Encouragement from Discovering A BETTER LIFE MINISTRIES

https://abl-alb.wixsite.com/discoverabetterlife/about

(Stories of Real People, Real Events, Real Places) Is dedicated to HELPING Men and Women Find HOPE

THROUGH SHARING GOD’S GRACE and LOVE

(Ron Bainbridge, Editor) (December 24th, 2019)

THE DAWN!

Friend, like many people in the world today, you probably get discouraged about events in the news too. Terrorism! Family violence! Catastrophic Fires, Damaging Floods, Volcanic Eruptions, Violent Earthquakes, Etc. Etc.

However, some of the scary news may even be closer to home than the newspaper or television screen. Such as: Health problems, or damaged personal relationships. Perhaps it is friction among people in your church. All of this can be very discouraging.

So, in the light of any discouragement we may be experiencing, just whose responsibility is it to make things better? If your first thought is God, I would not propose to correct your answer. I would only remind you that God acts in this world through human agents.

Friend, there is an old Hasidic story about a rabbi and his students. As they walked along the road one day, he asked, “How can we know the hour of dawn – the time at which the night ends and the day begins?”

No one ventured an immediate answer, so they continued to walk. Then one of the rabbi’s disciples asked: “Is it when you can look from some distance and distinguish between a wolf and a sheep?” “No!” exclaimed the rabbi. And they continued to walk.

“Is it when there is light enough to distinguish between a grapevine and a thorn bush?” ventured another student. “No!” said the rabbi. Then there was a long silence.

“Please tell us the answer to your question,” said one. “How is it possible to know the precise time at which the dawn has broken?”

“The dawn comes for each of us,” said the wise old teacher, “when we can look into the face of another human being and – by virtue of the light that comes from within us – recognize that even a stranger is our brother or sister. Until then, it is night. Until then, the night is still with us.”

Self-centred lives are cramped, provincial, and ultimately forlorn. It is only those souls selfless enough to live for others that are expansive with joy and bright with love. Love is, in fact, the only spiritual power great enough to overcome the selfishness that seems to be instinctive to being alive.

Friend, an essential ingredient of the Christmas message is that God came among us to teach us how to value and affirm one another. So as you plan your holiday time and spending, think not only of yourself, but of others. Find out again that it really is more blessed to give than to receive. And don’t forget to teach your children to share with others.

There is so much darkness. Let us pray together for the dawn to come!

Friend, thank you for taking the time to read The Daily Messages of Encouragement from Discovering A BETTER LIFE MINISTRIES which we have been privileged to share with you on our Website Blog during 2019.

To our many Friends, we at Discovering A BETTER LIFE Ministries sincerely hope that Jesus will always be the heart of your Christmas Season . . . and the most important part of every day We also pray that 2020 will be bright with the light of His love,

Your sincere friends, Ron and the Discovering A BETTER LIFE team (Philippians 1:3)

Friend, if you would like to know more about Jesus, the Prince of Peace, write to us with your request for a FREE booklet titled “Who is this Jesus?”

Our Mailing address is: Discovering A BETTER LIFE, P.O. Box 1540, Albany, Western Australia 6331. Phone: (08) 98 418 418. Email: abl-alb@omninet.net.au

“In the beginning God expressed Himself.

That personal expression, that Word,

Was with God, and was God,

And He existed with God

From the beginning!

All creation took place through Him,

And none took place without Him.

In Him appeared life and this

Life was the light of mankind.

The light still shines in the darkness

And the darkness has never put it out.”

(John 1:1-5)