The Official Writing Challenge
BACK TO
CHALLENGE
MAIN
INSTRUCTIONS
how it works
submission rules
guidelines for
choosing a level
ENTRIES
submit your entry
read current entries
read past entries
challenge winners
Our Daily Devotional HERE
Place it on your site or
receive it daily by email.


TRUST JESUS TODAY

  • Share
  • how it works
  • Submit
Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Experiment (02/16/12)
When I was a child my mother made sure my brothers, and I attended church regularly. I knew the Lord from a very tender age, but I didn’t truly understand all that I was taught.

When I became a teenager, like so many young people, I became rebellious. I thought I knew everything, and my parents were old fashioned as well as being out of date. How could they even begin to relate to all that was happening in my life.

Upon graduation from high school I was thrust into the world. I was the boss of myself, and I could do whatever I wanted. My parents weren’t there telling me what to do or when to do it. I was free.

My friends smoked, drank and did what they wanted, and wanting to fit in I dipped my feet into the world of sin. I had to experience all that life had to offer. What better way to learn then to experience all the pleasures this world had to offer.

Little did I know I was being pulled into the old devils trap. I fell in completely. Before I knew it I was in over my head. I was drowning and I couldn’t get out, but God in His mercy opened my eyes, and I turned from the world of sin.

I started reading my Bible, and reacquainted myself with what I’d been taught as a child. I humbly confessed my sins, and turned back to God. I have grown, and through God’s forgiveness, grace, mercy and love I have matured in my walk with Christ.

This past Sunday my Sunday School teacher was teaching on the Holy Spirit. She read an article by Oswald Sanders called, “Do You Know the Holy Spirit?” She went to John 3 and talked about Nicodemus. Jesus told Nicodemus unless you are born again you cannot see the Kingdom of God and He went on to explain about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Of being born of water and the Spirit.

Well, that set my mind into motion, and I thought about an experiment. You take a large jar and fill it with rocks. The jar looks full, but if you take smaller pebbles, and put them in the jar gently shaking it the smaller pebbles fill in the empty spaces. Is the jar completely filled? Not really. You next take sand and pour it into the jar shaking it until the sand has filled the empty spaces between the rocks and pebbles. Is the jar full? Looks like it, but if you take water, and pour it into the jar until it overflows you will find that the jar is now truly full.

What has that experiment to do with life? Those large rocks, pebbles and sand are trials and tribulations of my life, and the filling of the water represents the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It may sound crazy to you, but that is how my mind works. The more I mature in my walk with God the fuller my life becomes with the Holy Spirit. I am being filled with Living Water.

I’m still learning lessons every day, and I will continue learning and growing in Christ until He calls me home. I tried many things to live my life pleasing to God, but I had to get my grubby fingers out of God’s way. I had to learn to, “Trust in the Lord with all (my) your heart and lean not on (my) your own understanding; in all way acknowledge Him and He will make (my) your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6. I personalize the scripture so it applies to me. I have learned to accept the lessons in life. Weather they are good or bad those lessons keep me humble.

Scripture NIV
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE

JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
This article has been read 787 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
C D Swanson 
02/24/12
What a wonderful way to describe the Holy Spirit. Nicely done. I could see this being carried out in a Sunday Bible Class with the youngsters. Well written and beautiful message. Thank you! God Bless~
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
02/27/12
This is a powerful message. I'm sure there are many peopel who can relate to that rebellious stage.

You had several tiny errors such as old fashioned should be old-fashioned, weather should be whether, and missing question marks. Having a good proofreader would help you catch those little things.

I really like the idea of the experiment with the jar and the rocks. What a great children's message this would make. Thanks for that!