One day my friend and I were installing curtains at church. She brought teeny little nails and a hammer to use. Because the wood was so hard, quite a few of those teeny nails bent over and crumpled under the pressure of the hammer. I thought that was so much like us. So many times we crumple under the stresses and pressures of life. We can’t carry on any longer and we “fold”.

The rest of the nails were strong and stood straight and true and were useful. Some of the bent nails were able to be straightened and were useful as well. Life is full of pressure. Sometimes we crumple and think there is no use. Sometimes we stand up straight under the pressure. Sometimes we crumple at first but then “get straightened” by the Master and are useful again. He is a God of second chances, and third chances and fourth chances and so on. He will bandage us and will revive us.

"Come let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us." (Hosea 6:1)

PRAYER -- Father in Heaven, Thank You for Your promise that You will heal us, You will bandage us. The key to that is in the first part of the verse above. It says to come and let us return to the Lord. That is the secret. Under the pressures of life and the crumpling experiences of life, help us to remember to come to You, for healing and wholeness. That is the only place it can happen. Thank You. Amen

Judy Miller