Devotion-Martha The Rabbit

written by Toni Parker

Puzzles

Games

Martha the Rabbits

written by Toni Parker

“Martha!” Mother called as her voice filled with a strange urgency, “Go and get granny. Now!”

“Yes! Mummy… What for?”

“She knows just hurry please!” Her long white eyelashes clouded over her soft black eye.

As I hop out the door, I heard mother call after me, “there is one good bunny in the making.”

I felt good hearing my mother say that. It made me even more want to succeed for her. As I hopped as fast as my legs would carry me, half propelled forward by the fact of pleasing mother, secondly the urgency in her voice had me concerned too. I was puzzled and excited as I made a dash through the fields.  The morning airs filled with Lavender scent made me want to linger slightly and enjoy the beautiful smell. I urged myself onwards even though my legs were now aching. They wanted to stop and rest but I knew I had to keep going. I bounded and hopped each trying to lunge further forward than the last. I was so intrigued with this I forgot my bearings.

I halted to a stop to try to find my bearing but it was too late. I couldn’t go back. I had gone to far when, “Crack!”

 Glancing around to find out the noise, I didn’t have to look far when the reality hit home. The pain began to shoot up through my leg. “Oh NO!! Trap No I got a job to do. Please God help me.” Martha cried, as her little face now stained with tears looked pleadingly to the heaven above. “God help me. I got get granny. Mum needs me to see her, or was it mum needs her?” The pain was clouding my judgment. Stranded there with my foot caught in the trap, I began to realize how blessed as I was. If I had hopped only one body distance either side my whole body would have been engulfed. Death would of surely happened. God in his awesome wisdom and knowledge had kept me safe. As I pondered this thought I began to relax and take pleasure in the fact God had spared my life.

Fear began to envelope me; a little bunny sitting here was an easy prey. “God, please help me!” I whispered barely audible as I listened to the sound of the leaves being broken as footsteps headed my way. I shut my eyes tight. I lay there perfectly still, pretending I was dead, hoping they would not come near me. Sobs tried with choking degree to escape from my mouth. As I thought of Granny, mother and even me. I failed them all. I failed I failed.

The sobs were no longer controllable, with a huge gush came my wails in the sound that made a devastated bunny sound pitiful. When all of sudden I felt something touch me. Fear enveloped me as I took one last glance at what had arrived to consume me. “Oh no.. it’s human.”

I began earnestly began praying to God to help me when this human done something that quite unusual. He gently picked me and the trap, then we were carried off into the bushes behind. I felt a bit of pressure going on around my leg. I peered back to find the traps teeth, gently opened off my leg. Relief began to flow in yet I was still afraid that I was going to be on tonight’s menu. My mother had warned me about that.

“You poor little thing. Not much longer and this nasty thing will be off.”  This human’s voice was actually soothing, I found myself enjoying his hand rubbing along my spine.

“I don’t know who’s doing this but when I find them they will be sorry. I got a hefty fine just waiting for them.” He rambled on, as he continued to free my leg.

I couldn’t help feeling rather safe around the human hand that had come to save me. This was my guardian angel. I began to feel safe and praised God for saving me. Hope became like my encourager to go on. A hope in my ability to trust God in times of deep trouble, as I began to feel the trap was no longer around my leg hope surged through me. He then lowered me onto the ground. I was stunned, in awed. For one second I froze to the ground before I scampered back on the trail to find granny for mother. This time I was very mindful of traps. I hopped onward and nearer when up ahead I saw a familiar bunny hopping my way. “Granny! Granny!” I called leaping and frolicking towards her.

“Come quick. Mummy needs you.”

“I know love. I am already on my way. I saw Jopper. We were so worried about you. Are you alright?” Granny asked quickly giving me the bunny frisking. “Martha you’re bleeding badly. Martha?”

“No granny, I am alright fix it when we get back home. Mother needs you?”

“Mother’s all right your not.” She replied slipping off her red spotted scarf that was around her neck. Quickly she ties it around my leg like a bandage. “All right now tell me what happened on the way.”

As we hopped along the way back home, my whole story was relayed to Granny who suddenly gasped; excitingly she clapped together her paws. “Guess what!”

“What?”

“I met Jesus the exact same way.” Her face was beaming in a completely new light. For the first time I actually understood whom Jesus was. He came to me in my darkest hour and was right there in the hugest trial of this little bunny’s life.

My leg now was beginning to ache heaps. I kept going because just up there, on the horizon. I could see the roof of home but something was different.

“Granny what is that flag?” I enquired as pointed to the front of the cave.

“Oh bother, I’m too late.” She snapped her paws together in disappointment. I could see tears beginning to form in her eyes.

“Too late for what?”

“You wait and see.” Granny said as she hopped faster towards the house. My leg hurt very bad now but so had my bunny curiosity had be raised. I gave myself the last lunge. I was greeted by an excited daddy who led me into their bedroom to mother. Around her was the most amazing sight.

 I had brothers and sisters everywhere.

Now I know why mum wanted Granny, I too am glad that Jesus saved me to share in my families joy.

TODAY’S THOUGHTS:-

1. What do you think the biggest lesson Martha learnt?

2. Jesus saved her and she didn’t fear? We don’t have to fear either God is in us around us. In addition, greater is he that lives in us, than that of the world.

3. Bunny lay there open to attack. Fearful for his life and God stepped in to take control. So, remember if you are faced with something fearful. Remember God is at the most strongest during this time.

4. Bunny was excited about Jesus and excited to tell about Jesus and what he did. He didn’t know it was Jesus but Granny did. All good things are of our heavenly father. Rejoice in his greatness and take heart in everything because is a God that can with stand anything that may lay ahead. We are his victorious able to share in our families Joy. God is our family and we can share in his Joy.

by Applesauce Youth.

     In the troubled time before the return of the great and Holy God of all creation, there was Zon the carrier of truth into a hundred galaxies, and now once again on his way to a new adventure.

"Zon, ohhh Zon, Jennifer here, ... your spaceship, . . . remember me, it's time to get up; you have a message on the decoder."
"Decoder...?", ask Zon, still half asleep.
"Yes Zon, the decoder, would you like me to play it for you?"
"Sure, go ahead" replied Zon as he waited patiently.
The decoder first crackles then starts. "Zon, proceed to sector coordinate 16D, be sure to recruit some help!"
"Do you have a print out on the mission data, Jennifer ?", asked Zon.
"Yes, here it comes."
Zon carefully reads over the mission data. "Well, this is going to be tough. I'm going to need some help."
"Zon, the code 3 data bank, and an area scan shows only alien primitives within a reasonable range of our flight path."
"Thanks Jennifer, but they need the light too," Zon said. "Do you see anything that looks hopeful?"
"Well, there is one planet just ahead, planet ES-3, compatible air and gravity, hospitable creatures."
"OK, when we get there go into orbit for awhile, and we'll see if the scanner can find any good prospects."
Sometime later, Jennifer summons Zon with the results of the scan, "Well Zon, it's not as bad as the last time."
"What do you mean?"
"At least they're not so primitive that they're throwing rocks at each other," replied Jennifer.
"Swords and combustion weapons", Zon shakes his head. "Cowboys and Indians, do they really expect me to do a mission in the imperial fort city of Crackin with help like this."
"And ethics," points out Jennifer, "and ethics. The last time your helpers were little more then a bunch of pirates, you couldn't trust them any more then the Gorgs."
"Your right Jennifer, your right as always." Zon groans over the prospects for a few minutes then asks, "What's your opinion?"
"I would take the cowboy and his Indian friend."
"I think so too," agrees Zon. "lets drop down and pick them up."
A short time later, the ship is speeding away from ES-3, Once again back on course and making up time.
"Have you got all the details," asked Zon of his new passengers. "We are going to the Gorg home world, and pick up a package. But these Gorgs are not very friendly. And we do not want to be Violent, so we will have to sneak in, get the package and get out."
"Well, I think so," replied Bill, the cowboy, "So this is called a space ship".
Chi, the Indian, looked at Zon, and ask, "You will pay us in gold, how much?"
"You will get five pounds of gold each for helping me for the entire mission, when we get back."
"And all you need us for is to help you look for this thing that you are look for, and keep these Gorgs busy," asked Bill.
"You will take us back to where we were?", asked Chi.
"Yes I will, just as soon as we're done picking up the package at Omega 6", replies Zon. "But it's not going to be easy, the city is a heavily guarded fortress city on a small planetoid in the next solar system. Our instructions are written on the inside of a box in the schools' Head Master's office. We have to go in, get the box, and get out in order to find out where our prize is located."
"What prize?", asked the Bill.
"You'll see," said Zon, "you'll see when we get there, but take it easy for now, we'll be there soon. "A couple of hours pass and then. "Chime, chime, contact in 10 seconds . . . ," announces Jennifer, "station keeping engaged..., Omega 6 on the monitor."
Every one huddles around the monitor for a look.
The Gorg guards that patrol the grounds carry lasers guns, and know how to use them, but we don't need to be afraid. God is with us."
Minutes later, in the middle of the night, Jennifer drops the team in a small wooded area outside of town. Before they leave Zon puts Jennifer in charge of her own defenses and tells her to monitor the radio. Quietly the trio makes its way across a clearing to the edge of town, where Bill spots the first Gorg patrol. "Look at that!"
"Yea, kind of ugly, they kind of remind me of a watermellon stand on end with teeth, and three short legs. They're night creatures," explains Zon, "and they sleep during the day when the school is open. Let's keep moving, it's a long trip."
The Gorg patrols are very consistent and evenly spaced. The men watch the patrols carefully and eventually make their way to the main school building. Once inside they moved quietly down the hallway, taking time to photograph as much of the inside of the school as possible.
"Catching things on film may help the next guy," explained Zon, "turn left and it's the third door on the left."
The men approach the door carefully and listen for any noise from inside the room. Zon touches the door opening button, and suddenly alarms start ringing all over the building. "look out," yells Zon as he opens the door. "The gorgs will be here any second!"
As the door slides open Zon yells to Bill, "It's time for you to earn your money Bill, keep them busy!"
Zon and Chi start searching the office for the small metal box.
"Things are getting pretty busy out here," shouts Bill as laser fire comes down the hall. Bill throws a smoke bomb out into the hall.
"Give me some more time!" yells Zon.
"Give you some more time!" exclaims Bill, "you can't even look out into the hall because of all the laser fire. They're shooting down this hall from both ends. We can't get out this way!"
Zon goes through a door into another office and yells, "This is it, that's the wrong office."
Grabbing the box he starts for the door of the second office, which opens on an adjacent hall, quickly followed by Chi. Bill waits for his partners to get to the door of the second office. Zon nods that he's ready and Bill throws a lit string of fire crackers down the hall. The sound is deafening in the metal clad building. A far cry from the timid whine of the Gorg laser pistol.
The three men slip out into the hall and start for the front of the building. Zon once again frantically taking pictures as the men run down the hall.
"Notice anything?" asks Chi while quickly looking back over his shoulder.
"No," replied Zon.
"It's too quiet, you can't hear the laser guns any more."
"Your right get in here," commands Zon as he points to the open door of a closet. "Lets see what this box says."
Once inside they turn on the light and open the box, which seems to be empty.
"What's this ... It's empty. We came all this way for an empty box," yells Chi.
"Pipe down," whispers Zon, as he reaches in his pocket for a small bottle. Carefully shaking the bottle and then applying the contents to the inside of the lid.
"Got any complaints now?", Zon ask, as the message starts to appear. Zon takes a picture of the message and rubs the inside of the lid clean.
"We go back into the office and take the third book from the right end of the third shelf."
"Go back in! Are you crazy!" ask Chi and Bill simultaneously.
"Don't worry," said Zon, " I'll go back. You can cover me from here."
"Cover you from here, NO WAY! Who's going to cover you while you're in the office?" asked Chi. "We can't fly Jennifer either. We'll go with you to make sure nothing happens."
"I noticed the shelf, it's just inside the door. It's going to be easy," comforts Zon.
The door of the closet swings open and three heads peer out from behind the door.
"All clear, lets go," Zon commands, and the trio sneaks back down the hall towards the office.
Zon reaches the door of the office just as a four armed Ker communicator comes around the corner at the far end of the hall. Bill panics and immediately reaches for his gun, and Chi stops him.
"Remember, no violence! Use these message balls", Chi and Bill each throw a message ball at the Communicator. The Ker immediately catches the balls, and opens them. The Ker had obviously seen message balls before, and knew how to unscrew them. Each ball contained several types of "Jesus loves you" messages inside. All of this keeps the Ker busy long enough for Zon to get the book.
Zon comes back out of the office at a full run and yells, "Lets go!"
The three men run from the building crashing through four Gorg guards as they leave. The Gorgs shoot at Zon, Bill, and Chi as they run all around the city of Crackin trying to get back to Jennifer.
Zon, starting to tire, yells into his radio, "Jennifer fire up the engines. We'll meet you in the clearing at the edge of town in a few minutes."
Gorg laser fire follows the trio all the way out of town forcing them to continually dive for cover. They finally make it to the clearing, running up Jennifers' loading ramp and collapsing in total exhaustion once inside.
"Go Jennifer go!" yells Zon at the top of his voice.
Jennifer engines surge to the command as she simultaneously closes the ramp, activates her protective shields, and streaks from the planets surface with a thunderous roar.
Several minutes later composure starts to return to the trio.
"What in the world could possibly be this important?", asked Bill, still sprawled out on the floor at the top of Jennifers' loading ramp.
Zon didn't even wink, but calmly rolled over and removed the false cover of the book, revealing the Holy Bible.
"In very closed societies it is very hard to spread the Word. This Bible is written in Gorg. The only way that the translator could get it here was through the Head Master of this school. Now that I have it, I will take it to some Gorg Christians on another Gorg planet."

     In the same way Zon realized the importance of the Bible, you should realize the importance of a personal relationship with God, The author and finisher of your salvation. The only way, the only path to heaven is through Jesus Christ. Why don't you take a few minutes right now and pray with me. Heavenly Father, your Word says that "If I will confess with my mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe with my heart that God has raised Him from the dead, I shall be saved." And Father, I do believe that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead the third day, and I do pray that you would forgive me of my sins in Jesus name. I receive you now as Lord of my life, and thank you for the total healing of my body, and my family. The anointing of agape love, and the leading and guiding of your Holy Spirit in everything I do in Jesus name I pray , Amen.

Discussion questions:
1. What was Zon trying so hard to get?
     answer: The Holy Bible. He must have thought it was worth the effort.
2. Why did Zon have to work so hard to get the Bible?
     answer: Because darkness doesn't want Light to come into the World. The Gorgs were in darkness they did not understand the truth that God has for everyone.
3. Why did Zon take pictures in the school?
     answer: To help the people that come after him to find the way. We should not only be good witnesses, but we should be ready to help everyone we can.
4. Why did God give us the Bible?
     answer: To help us find the way of truth.
5. Why did Jennifer tell Zon to keep the two men she had found on ES-3?
     answer: Because they had ethics, and they were trust worthy. (Discuss what ethics are.)
6. What should good Christian friends be like?
     answer: They should be honest and trust worthy, good examples to others, always helpful.