The vibrant sounds of Mozart’s Piano Concerto Number Seven swirled through the Beacon Hill mansion’s ballroom. The fifteen females seated around the grand piano, listening to the maestro, had proper Brahmin names like Cabot, Coolidge, Forbes, Lodge, or Shaw. Each traced her ancestry back to the earliest Puritan settlers of Boston. This blueblood lineage insured their invitation to the social tea, no nouveau riche Johnny-come-latelies were among the invitees.
When the pianist completed the piece, he stood and bowed. The women showed their appreciation with warm applause. One of the ladies put her white-gloved hands to her mouth and said, “Oh, I would just do anything to be able to play the piano like that.”
The maestro turned and stared at her. His eyes exploded with fire.
“No you wouldn’t,” he said.
The crowd gasped in unison. All felt sorry for the woman who had been openly rebuked by the man’s insensitive words.
As for the lady, she sat stunned, paralyzed by his harsh eyes, tears rolled down her cheeks. Then, as if she remembered her privileged pedigree, she mouthed three defiant words at the pianist: “Yes, I would.”
“No you wouldn’t,” he said again, leaning over the piano toward the lady.
“Because if you really meant what you said, you would have been willing to give up your youth, your teenage years, and eight to ten hours every day practicing on the piano. You see there is a price to sit on this bench. I’ve been willing to pay it, and you have not!”
(Excerpt from Deceived Dead And Delivered by Larry Nevenhoven, ©2013, Amazon eBook)
Like the short story, there’s a price which must be paid if you want to win spiritual battles. There are no shortcuts!
My prayer today:
Lord, raise up thousands of American believers who are willing to endure afflictions and hardships for the sake of Your church in America and who are also willing to fight the good fight until death without criticizing Your followers that lack the same intensity and may even oppose these warriors. (Based on 2 Timothy 2:10 and Matthew 7:1-6)
What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you today?
Join with me on Thursdays to fast and pray for America.
Larry Who 
Thank you, Mr. Larry. Such a great prayer and insight. I prayed from that last chapter in Judges, where the 11 tribes of Israel had to fight against Benjamin, and they were crying out to God and weeping bitterly, wanting Benjamin resorted. God bless you!
Debbie,
Thanks. Great insight into the last chapter of Judges. God bless you.