I know you have heard the story of the Chinese man who had one horse and one son. One day the horse broke out of the corral and fled to the hills. All of the neighbors came around that night and said, "Your horse got out? What bad luck!" "Why," the old Chinese man said, "How do you know it's bad luck?" Sure enough, the next night the horse came back to its familiar corral for his usual feeding and watering, leading twelve wild stallions with him! The farmer's son saw the thirteen horses in the corral, slipped out and locked the gate. The neighbors heard the good news and came excitedly to the farmer, "Oh, you have thirteen horses! What good luck." And the old farmer said, "How do you know that's good luck?"

A few days later the young son was trying to break one of the wild stallions only to be thrown off and break a leg. The neighbors came back saying, "You son broke his leg. What bad luck!" And the wise father said, "How do you know it's bad luck?" Sure enough, a few days later a Chinese war lord came through town and conscripted every able bodied young man, taking them off to war, never to return again. But the young man was saved because of his broken leg.

There is one thing we all desperately need to learn: only God knows what's good for us and what's bad for us. And with that in mind we must learn to trust God.

Do you remember the last night Jesus spent with His disciples? The twelve were wrestling with desperate despondency and doubt. They were few in number, had no allies, no wealth, no credentials and no references. They had come to the city of Jerusalem with foreboding. The night streets were tense. Angry men lurked in the shadows. Religious leaders were seeking the death of their Master. There were so many things of which to be afraid. And what did Jesus say to his followers? "Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God. . . " (John 14:1). That's it. Trust in God!

And remember that Jesus never preached anything he didn't practice. I am glad that Peter saw fit to remind us that Jesus took his own medicine. "He trusted in Him who judges justly." Why shouldn't we do the same?"
John Gipson