CHRYSALIS!

A BUTTERFLY COMBAT!

"Where a Caterpillar is transformed into a Butterfly"!

INTRODUCTION:

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous,But the LORD delivers him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19).

“In fact, all those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2Tim 3:12).

“For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake”! (Phil 1:29).

A Story of the Butterfly Combat:

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further. So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!

CONCLUSION:

“strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying,Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."( Acts 14:22).

“…………….If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours” (John 15:20).

As one prayer was answered by GOD in this manner!

I asked for Strength!........................And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong!.

I asked for Wisdom!........................ And God gave me Problems to solve!.

I asked for Prosperity!....................And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work!.

I asked for Courage!........................And God gave me Danger to overcome!.

I asked for Love!.............................And God gave me troubled people to help!.

I asked for Favors!......................... And God gave me Opportunities!.

I asked for Blessings!......................And in all God gave me Abundant Blessings!

“we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.(2 Cor 4:9-10).

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place" (II Cor 2:14).