The Duck & the Devil/smaller>/fontfamily>
There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was/smaller>/fontfamily>
given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the/smaller>/fontfamily>
woods; but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged,/smaller>/fontfamily>
he headed back for dinner. As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet/smaller>/fontfamily>
duck./smaller>/fontfamily>
Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in/smaller>/fontfamily>
the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved!/smaller>/fontfamily>
In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile; only to see his/smaller>/fontfamily>
sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing./smaller>/fontfamily>
After lunch the next day Grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes."/smaller>/fontfamily>
but Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the/smaller>/fontfamily>
kitchen." Then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?" So Johnny did/smaller>/fontfamily>
the dishes./smaller>/fontfamily>
Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and/smaller>/fontfamily>
Grandma said, "I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper."/smaller>/fontfamily>
Sally just smiled and said, "Well that's all right because Johnny told/smaller>/fontfamily>
me he wanted to help." She whispered again, "Remember the duck?" So Sally/smaller>/fontfamily>
went fishing and Johnny stayed to help./smaller>/fontfamily>
After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's; he/smaller>/fontfamily>
finally couldn't stand it any longer./smaller>/fontfamily>
He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck./smaller>/fontfamily>
Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You/smaller>/fontfamily>
see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because/smaller>/fontfamily>
I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let/smaller>/fontfamily>
Sally make a slave of you."/smaller>/fontfamily>
Thought for the day and every day thereafter?/smaller>/fontfamily>
Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done... And the devil keeps/smaller>/fontfamily>
throwing it up in your face (lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad habits,/smaller>/fontfamily>
hatred, anger, bitterness, etc.)...whatever it is...You need to know that/smaller>/fontfamily>
God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing. He has seen/smaller>/fontfamily>
your whole life. He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are/smaller>/fontfamily>
forgiven./smaller>/fontfamily>
He's just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you./smaller>/fontfamily>
The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness; He not/smaller>/fontfamily>
only forgives you, but He forgets. It is by God's grace and mercy that we/smaller>/fontfamily>
are saved. When Jesus died on the cross; he was thinking of you!/smaller>/fontfamily>