(By: MARY E. ADAMS)

When I was in Malaysia I went with some dear Chinese friends to a beach, where we spent Christmas holidays and fellowshipped with about twenty other people. How restful was this place! And as I beach combed along the shoreline, I was disappointed that I could not find some nice shell or other object. During all my years of travel, shells and rocks had become my souvenirs of choice.

So up and down the sandy beach I was walking, looking, and at the same time...speaking to the Father. Especially was I praying for a lady that was extremely sick from cancer, and I also wanted some way to repay my hosts for their kindness...but what would that be?

After hours of treading through the heavy sand, my legs were aching, and I stood looking at the incoming waves; disappointed that my efforts had seemingly ended in failure. 

Suddenly, the Lord spoke to me: "Why do you waste your time and energy looking...when if you asked me, I would bring it to your feet?" I thought about it, then decided to just stand still and see what the waves would bring.   Nothing! I waited and waited...still nothing. So I decided to return to the beach house, and just as I turned around, behind me was a huge fishing ball...the kind that are attached to nets by the fishermen. I grabbed it and examined some strange writing...which looked like Chinese.  

Lugging the thing back to the beach house, I showed the object to my friends. They all were excited...it had indeed come from China. But where exactly? My hostess then came out to see what I had brought back from the beach. Suddenly, she became ecstatic....the ball had the very name of her ancestral home in China... A treasure worth far more than anything I could have ever found! It would later become a proud addition to her little fish pond in her front courtyard.

Then I thought again about my sick friend...(for in my mind, as I prayed for her on that beach, I was also walking up and down, back and forth, interceding in her behalf). The sand was so heavy it had tired me quickly. Both of the desires of my heart...to find something for my hosts, and for the healing of this certain woman had extracted most of my energy. And when He had spoken to me to "stand still, ask Him, and watch it come to my feet" there was astonishment when suddenly the treasure of the fishing ball was sighted. But the question came: was God saying to also cease from my efforts...my labors, and rest in His complete promise to bring my other request riding in also?

I think of it this way: God is so infinitely awesome, knowing our thoughts and the intents of our hearts. If a sparrow never falls that it does not get His attention,  then certainly He cares so much more for the concerns we bring to Him. But faith...true faith, will "stand still and see the salvation of the Lord."  

It is like that fishing ball...dropped from a Chinese junkyard back on the coasts of mainland China, perhaps years ago. It was deposited on a certain wave. The wave and the fishing ball rode together over thousands of miles, led by currents, the wind, so many factors. But God knew that He had destined it for a shoreline in Malaysia in December that certain year. Because it's destination course was chartered by a prayer.

Friend, I learned a lot from that lesson. When Lazarus was said to be dying, Jesus did not rush to Bethany. He sat still...remaining in the same place until the Father spoke and said "now it is time." Too often we are exhausting ourselves mentally and physically with spiritual pursuits, when God is saying to us, "stand still, ask me, and I will bring it to your feet." Dear friends, God had already answered my prayers long ago, before I ever set foot upon that beach! Because He knows all things...from beginning to end.

Perhaps this is the "rest" spoken of in the scriptures. Sore muscles are the result of strain and overuse. How easily we forget His offer to "come unto Me, all ye that do labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." This is not to say that we do not have to intercede for one another...we are commanded to do so. But for me, it sometimes seems far harder to cease from those labors and just stop, wiggle my toes in the sand, and wait for that special treasure...

Maybe today your answers are riding with the waves; you've combed the beach looking for it, but your eyes tell you it has not yet arrived. Then stand still where the water flows to your toes and ask Him. It shall surely come in its appointed time.   Or...perhaps it is already behind you, having arrived long ago. 

DEAR READER: Thank you for taking the time to read this. If it has ministered hope, encouragement or insight to you in any way, would you please take the time to send Mary Adams a quick E-mail at meamin@mtaonline.net and share the blessing with her? She would love to hear from you!  

If you are questioning in your heart what this Christian life is all about and would like to know more about being reconciled to God, please click here to learn how you can do that. Thank you and God bless you!

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Remember: All that we do in this life comes back to our God-given purpose which is to serve and glorify God. The money and assets we accumulate, the fame and power we've attained or seek to attain - all of the things of this nature will one day pass away, but those lives of others we impact for Jesus Christ will last for eternity, and we will be rewarded for the part we helped play by impacting those lives ... for eternity. (Matthew 6:19-21 is our assurance)