Gaining much more

Farmers in southern Alabama were accustomed to planting one crop every year-cotton. They would plow as much ground as they could and plant their crop. Year after year they lived by cotton. Then one year the dreaded boll weevil devastated the whole area. So the next year the farmers mortgaged their homes and planted cotton again, hoping for a good harvest. But as the cotton began to grow, the insect came back and destroyed the crop, wiping out most of the farms.

The few who survived those two years of the boll weevil decided to experiment the third year, so they planted something they'd never planted before-peanuts. And peanuts proved so hardy and the market proved so ravenous for that product that the farmers who survived the first two years reaped profits that third year that enabled them to pay off all their debts. They planted peanuts from then on and prospered greatly.

Then you know what those farmers did? They spent some of their new wealth to erect in the Town Square a monument-to the boll weevil. If it hadn't been for the boll weevil, they never would have discovered peanuts. They learned that even out of disaster there can be great delight.

So often this is so with our life. Have you ever had bad things to happen, then God turned them to good. I have so often saw God do this in a person life.

I recall a family in Kentucky that lost everything that they had in a tornado. What a sad day it seemed to be, but as the weeks went by I watched that hand of God on there life. I watch as aid of all kind came in, and they were able to build a new house. But the greatest day was when the husband came to an old fashion Alter and gave his life and heart to God. Yes they lost a lot but they gained a lot more. Before only one served the Lord, now both serve together. God is so good.

It was a bad day when Jesus had to go to the cross and die. I am sure that it was hard as He prayed in the garden and his blood was as great drops of blood. He was treated so cruel and shamed. What a bad time that was! But it was also a great time, for God was able to take that and turn it into Salvation for all that will come unto him! If it hadn't been for the cross, there would be no Salvation for you and me.

You see if it hadn't been for things that had happened in my life, I would not be where I am today. We are so blessed that God can take any negative situation and turn it to our good. There are so many illustrations in the Bible of this. Jonah and the whale, Job and the boils, Peter and the rooster, and on and on. God can and will turn any bad situation around for you today if you will look to him and trust him. God uses as we call storms of this life to get our attention. These storms of tragedy can turn to Salvation of Good. If today you are in the mist of one of these storms, it may be that God is trying to get your attention to do something for your good.