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Talking Rocks
by Jerry Ousley Don't you just love fantasy movies and cartoons? Everything in them seems to have a voice. You're walking along and just break out into a song. From out of nowhere an orchestra begins to play as you sing and dance through the woods. A tree suddenly opens its eyes and has a large mouth and begins to sing with you. Birds are flying around your head and a butterfly lands on your shoulder. Rabbits, squirrels and other creatures of the woods begin to appear singing and dancing along. Sometimes it's fun to watch but it isn't reality. However mankind has taught a lot of animals to say words. We have talking parrots and mina birds; we've taught dogs and cats to bark and meow in a fashion that it almost sounds like words. But when we think of talking rocks, well now that's another story. We may even be able to accept the fact that God made a donkey talk to Balaam way back in the Old Testament. But rocks? We've been talking about the Triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as Easter is approaching. Luke 19:29-40 tells the story. Jesus was riding into Jerusalem on the back of a young donkey never before ridden while the people carpeted the road with their outer garments and palm leaves. As He rode they began to cry out praises to Him, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" (Luke 19:38). As they worshipped Jesus this way it was now time for the Pharisees to come on the scene. Being proper and all, and not recognizing Jesus to be the predicted Messiah they told Him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" (verse 39). That was when Jesus said those famous words, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out." (verse 40). Can you imagine that? There was such electricity in the air that it demanded praise of the Lord Jesus Christ. He said that if the people kept silent then the rocks would break out in a praise of unison to Him. I bet that took the Pharisees back a notch or two! Still, I think I'd like to hear what that sounds like; rocks breaking forth in a magnificent praise to the Almighty! But then, the only way that might possibly happen is if we fail in our own duty to bring praise and worship to the One who paid the penalty of death for our sin. How can we not cry out in praise to Him when we realize what He has done for us? He was even then marching to His death. He knew what was coming yet He bravely went on. Most of us would have been running for our lives if we were faced with a situation like that; but not Jesus. He pressed on! I know a man who testified about this very situation one time saying that he didn't want the rocks doing his job. He was going to take his place crying out in praise to the King of kings and the Lord of lords. And so should we. Did you know that there is a healing in praising the Lord? I'm not talking about some formula that magically works when we say or do the right things. But I am saying that as we praise and worship Jesus Christ we may experience a physical healing but more importantly our emotions, our thoughts and all the negative stuff that might be inside of us will be overcome by the power of worship. How can we help it? When we know the magnificent thing that He has done how can we not exalt Him? Not praising Him would be like someone giving us a million dollars and we just completely forget to say "thank you." Of course this only comes with a realization of what He has done. Until we can grasp the significance of what Jesus did on Calvary it is only words. But when we know; when we realize; when we see it in our minds and at the very core of our souls who wants a rock doing what we can do better? Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.? Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |