FEBRUARY 18, 2 Corinthians 4:8

David’s mom came into his room to check on his homework. “How’s your report coming?” she asked.

“It’s not good,” grumbled David, “and I don’t want to do it anyway.” “You sound upset, David. Are you still fretting about yesterday?” asked Mom.

David’s eyes got misty. “I wanted to be the class reporter for the school paper so badly,” he said. “And what did Mrs. Lim say? ‘You have a good imagination, but you don’t check facts. A reporter must be accurate. Work on it, David. Maybe you can be a reporter next year.’”

“I know you’re disappointed, David, but don’t give up,” encouraged Mom. “Now, what school report are you working on?”

“I have to write about some famous people,” David muttered. “It can be anybody.”

“What about John Calvin, the French theologian who was used by God as the main figure behind the wonderful Christian theology called Calvinism. He was not perfect but he kept trying and trusting God and working hard!” “Yes, that could work!” exclaimed David.

“That’s right.” Mom nodded. “But he’s remembered for his successes, not for his failures. Often, it’s easy to give up when we fail, but that doesn’t help us grow. It’s not what God would have us do either. He wants us to learn from our experiences and try harder the next time. We must learn to depend on Him to help us turn failure into success.”

David gave his mom a big hug. “Thanks, Mom,” he said. “I see what you’ve been trying to tell me. I won’t give up. I’ll make this report so accurate that even Mrs. Lim would be proud of it.”

Thought: What happens when you fail at something? Do you give up and quit trying? Don’t get discouraged. Learn from your mistakes and realise that it takes time to learn to do things well. Depend on God to help you.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the lesson today. I have not done well in certain things, sometimes in my studies and sometimes in other duties. Help me to learn that even when I fail, I must pick myself up and try even harder! Heavenly Father, especially when I am weak, may I learn to be strong by Thy strength. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.