Have you ever heard of the story, “The Thirsty Crow”? What a valuable lesson to be learned! “A long time ago, during a devastating spell of dry weather, there was a thirsty crow that was desperate for a drink of water. The poor crow flew and flew in search of a means to quench his thirst. From one place to another he went, until, at long last, when he could fly no further, he came upon a large pitcher of water at the base of a tree. Overjoyed, the thirsty crow thrust its jet-black beak inside to drink his fill. But, alas, the pitcher had a narrow neck! Try as he might, the despairing crow couldn’t get his head far enough inside. To his dismay, he realized the water was out of reach. “The thirsty crow cried out and flapped his wings in anguish. He attempted to knock the pitcher over. But to no avail. It was too heavy for his weary, dehydrated body to budge. The crow was on the verge of exhaustion and ready to fly elsewhere. But then an idea came to him. Around the base of the pitcher sat some small round pebbles. Picking them up, one by one, the thirsty crow dropped them into the pitcher. Again and again he placed these stones inside. And with every extra pebble, the water level began to rise… His idea worked. Eventually, after much toil, the water rose so high inside the pitcher that the clever crow was able to drink his fill and satisfy his thirst for good.” Rise to the challenge, and never lose hope! As we listen to the news daily and sermons on Sunday, there are so many people who are losing hope, for they feel they have nowhere else to turn. In “The Thirsty Crow,” just as he was about to throw in the towel, a thought was revealed that ended up saving him from complete thirst and total devastation. In spite of his physical weakness, the crow rose to the challenge to save himself. In our situations as humans, I call it listening to the revealing voice of God. Some of us don’t rise to the challenge because we don’t take the time to listen to God’s Word and His plans for us. Isaiah 40:31 (ESV) declares, But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” When we see others losing hope, as Christians, it is our duty to reach out and show them the ways of Christ. Don’t let your fellow man fall as you are equipped to lead him to hope. Rise to the challenge, and do the will of Christ Jesus. Always abound in the faith, and never leave home without Him!
