Blessing For Service
Stephen Whitney
Hebrews 13:20-21
Poland's famous concert pianist Ignacy Paderewski made his musical debut in Vienna in 1887. Soon afterward he gained great popularity and his subsequent appearances (in Paris in 1889, and
in London in 1890) were major successes. His brilliant concert playing caused people to have great admiration for him.
There is a story about a mother who wished to encourage her young son's progress at the piano, bought tickets for a Paderewski performance. When the night arrived, they found their seats near the front of the concert hall and eyed the majestic Steinway waiting on stage.
Soon the mother found a friend to talk to and the boy slipped away.
When eight o'clock arrived, the spotlights came on, the audience quieted and only then did they notice the boy up on the bench,
innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."
His mother gasped, but before she could retrieve her son, the master appeared on the stage and quickly moved to the keyboard.
"Don't quit - keep playing," he whispered to the boy. Leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around the other side,
encircling the child, to add a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice held the crowd mesmerized.
In our lives, unpolished as we may be, it is the Master who surrounds us with his loving care and whispers in our ear,
time and again, "Don't quit - keep playing."
Today God uses the Scriptures to encourage us because we can become discouraged as we try to serve him.
1. Things don't work out the way we had hoped they would.
2. People don't respond to the gospel as we had prayed for them.
3. Trials cause us frustration as things in our lives don't change the way we had counted on.
Background
The Jews who had trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior were suffering for their faith as their lands were being taken from them and ...
Stephen Whitney
Hebrews 13:20-21
Poland's famous concert pianist Ignacy Paderewski made his musical debut in Vienna in 1887. Soon afterward he gained great popularity and his subsequent appearances (in Paris in 1889, and
in London in 1890) were major successes. His brilliant concert playing caused people to have great admiration for him.
There is a story about a mother who wished to encourage her young son's progress at the piano, bought tickets for a Paderewski performance. When the night arrived, they found their seats near the front of the concert hall and eyed the majestic Steinway waiting on stage.
Soon the mother found a friend to talk to and the boy slipped away.
When eight o'clock arrived, the spotlights came on, the audience quieted and only then did they notice the boy up on the bench,
innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."
His mother gasped, but before she could retrieve her son, the master appeared on the stage and quickly moved to the keyboard.
"Don't quit - keep playing," he whispered to the boy. Leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around the other side,
encircling the child, to add a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice held the crowd mesmerized.
In our lives, unpolished as we may be, it is the Master who surrounds us with his loving care and whispers in our ear,
time and again, "Don't quit - keep playing."
Today God uses the Scriptures to encourage us because we can become discouraged as we try to serve him.
1. Things don't work out the way we had hoped they would.
2. People don't respond to the gospel as we had prayed for them.
3. Trials cause us frustration as things in our lives don't change the way we had counted on.
Background
The Jews who had trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior were suffering for their faith as their lands were being taken from them and ...
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