The Grass Isn’t Always Greener

“God will make this happen, for He who calls you is faithful.” 1 Thessalonians 5:24 

One day, God told Samson to pick up the jawbone of a donkey. That donkey had just laid down one day and died. The coyotes came and ripped all the meat off his bones. Then, the vultures came and picked what was left. Finally, an army of ants came and scavenged the remains until there was nothing left but a bone. And God says, “Samson, go over there and pick that old bone up. That old bone's about to see its best day.” 

Often, God is waiting for you to stop striving in your own strength to really show you what He can do. Remember, He said, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, sayeth the Lord.” Sometimes, God reduces you in order to use you mightily. 

Another example is found in Jeremiah 29. God said, “Tell the elders of Babylon to build houses and plant gardens.” They replied, “In Babylon? We want to be in Jerusalem.” God said, “No, stay in Babylon. Build houses and plant gardens. Eat from your garden. Seek the peace and prosperity of the city of Babylon. And if it prospers, you'll prosper.” In other words, stay and turn this place around.

If you’re in a terrible situation, stop whining and start building, planting, sowing, and reaping. Find some joy right where you are. Be faithful and turn it around. Paul said, “Not many noble are called, not many wise, and not many mighty. But I choose the foolishness and the weakness of man to confound the wise.” God chooses nobodies, puts them in obscure places, and turns them into somebodies in significant places. 

Stay where you are. Sometimes success is a four-letter word, S-T-A-Y. You may think the grass is greener somewhere else, but stay and, with a good attitude, “build houses and plant gardens.” God is preparing to use you for something great. When Jesus found James and John, they were mending their nets and not catching many fish. He didn’t choose highly successful people. He simply said, “Follow me, and I will make you…” God is just looking for people who are yielded to Him.

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