11/26/2020
We are often tempted not to be thankful for what hurts us or for what we do not have. But in God's economy, all things (including loss and pain) work for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). This means there is purpose in our afflictions even if we do not immediately see it. Last night, I heard a wonderful story that illustrates this. Enjoy this story and be thankful today! :)
Once upon a time, there was a king who had a vizier who always said that good comes out of every affliction. One day, the king, his vizier, and many servants went hunting. The king lost two fingers that day in a hunting accident. The vizier repeated that something good will come out of the king's pain, but the king, infuriated, threw the vizier in jail. On the way to his prison cell, the vizier said something good will come out of his incarceration. Some time passed, and the king went hunting with all his men again. This time, the king's horse went mad and started running wildly entering the territory of a tribe of cannibals. All the king's men followed, trying to rescue their king. The cannibals killed and ate all the king's men, but they did not eat the king because he was imperfect - he had two missing fingers. So they let the king go, and when he finally made it back to his palace, the first thing he did was to call his vizier from jail to tell him, "Forgive me; you were right. The pain I endured when I lost my fingers actually saved me from being eaten by cannibals. But I still don't understand what good came out of your time in prison." And the vizier answered, "Oh, Your majesty, if I had not been in prison, you would have taken me with you hunting, and the cannibals would have eaten me just like they did to all men who were with you." :)