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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for August 11, 2009
“Are You Going Through a Trial?”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Wood splintered as they broke into the house.
Oh sure, lots of houses are broken into, but this time was different.
This time it was my house.
Glass shattered as they broke out a window.
No one was there, and there were no next door neighbors.
We had moved out, and now the house was for sale.
And vacant.
Did you know that you must change your insurance policy when the house is vacant?
I’m sorry. It really doesn’t matter how much insurance you have. The house was vacant, you see. Vacant. I know there is a lot of damage, but the house was vacant.
Glass shattered again. There goes another window.
I’m sorry. We’ve followed up all leads and there really are no suspects. We’ll keep our ears open, but basically the case is closed.
More glass shattered, with not a soul around to stop it. More damage.
Oh, they had one crazy night in the Apple’s old house.
Have you ever tried to sell a house after vandals have wrecked it? It’s not exactly a strong selling point.
But we had to sell that house.
See, we had moved away, at what we thought was the calling of God. We had to pay for a new place to live, but we still had a mortgage on the old place.
We had stepped out in faith, and things were tight. Someone who owed me money decided not to pay, which was a crippling blow right out of the gate. The cost of living was higher and our family income was lower.
And every day that house didn’t sell was a real test of my faith. I fully believed that we had followed the Lord’s leading, but I thought the path would be a little more paved.
Now there were many good things, don’t get me wrong; many blessings and confirmations.
But in my weak mind they were being overshadowed by this financial storm cloud.
And then came the vandals. The realtor called to share the bad news.
And it was an emergency because the windows had been broken out and bad weather was coming.
Thankfully many friends from our old church rallied to our side and made the necessary repairs.
I was truly humbled and thankful, but now more than ever, that financial storm cloud raged over me.
What would happen if the vandals returned? They could go right back the very next night. I couldn’t tread on our friends again. And we certainly couldn’t afford to keep paying for repairs.
Many people told me to keep the faith, but that’s easy to say when you aren’t the one under the pressure.
What happens when the money runs out? You look like a fool, that’s what. Your foolish decisions and your foolish faith leave you at the top of the pile of fools.
I was definitely going through a trial, and what does James chapter one say about trials? It says they are “the testing of your faith.”
Trials are a test of our faith. When the going gets tough, will we keep trusting Jesus? Will we keep our eyes fixed on Him? Will we keep our minds set on things above, not on things on the earth?
That particular trial was a few years ago now, and I can look back and say that it all worked out. We sold the house. There was no more vandalism. I never asked anyone for money but some was given anyway. And even in the tightest moments every single bill was paid and paid on time. There was not even one late payment.
Now I must say, I do not feel like I had a lot of faith during that time. I envisioned a lot of worst-case scenarios and my words were not exactly full of faith.
However, I never turned back from what I believe God called me to do. I wasn’t happy about everything, I wasn’t always encouraged and strong, but I never turned back.
And now here we are, on the other side of the trial, and I can say, “Thank you Lord for bringing us through.”
Our family has been super-blessed since we made that move; the Lord has done great things and the enemy has suffered loss.
So if you are going through a trial today, let me tell you what so many people told me: keep the faith. Keep your eyes on the Lord, and don’t turn back.
This trial is simply a testing of your faith, so keep moving forward. And in the end, like it says in First Peter 1:7, your faith will be proved genuine and will result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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