2. There once was a bunch of tiny frogs,... … who arranged a running competition.

3. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower.

4. A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants...

5. The race began...

6. No one in the crowd really believed that, Honestly

7. the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower...

8. You could hear statements such as: "Oh, its WAY too difficult!! They will NEVER make it to the top."

9. or

10. "Not a chance that they will succeed. The tower is too high!"

11. One by one… the tiny frogs began collapsing…

12. ... Except for those who in a fresh tempo were climbing higher and higher...

13. "It is too difficult!!! No one will make it!" The crowd continued to yell

14. More tiny frogs got tired and gave up...

15. But ONE continued higher...

16. But ONE continued higher and higher

17. But ONE continued higher and higher and higher...

18. This one just wouldn’t give up!

19. At the end everyone else had given up climbing the tower.

20. Except for the one tiny frog who after a big effort was the only one who reached the top!

21. THEN all of the other tiny frogs naturally wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it?

22. A contestant asked the tiny frog how the one who succeeded had found the strength to reach the goal?

23. To everyones surprise it turned out that the winner was...

24. DEAF!!!!

25. The lesson of this story is:

26. DISCOURAGEMENT can be lethal... We are also in a race.. A race for everlasting life The Devil uses discouragement as a weapon because it often works. The Devil well knows the negative effect that discouragement can have on a servant of God. Even a person who has endured outright opposition and persecution may fall prey to discouragement.

27. We might face different types of discouragement from different sources.. maybe in the ministry from opposers, from family members or relatives, from members in the congregation, friends,etc that maybe intentional or unintentional.

28. It would be best NOT to dwell on unkind or negative remarks but keep your focus on the race. Like the frog be DEAF to these remarks.

29. We are not alone in this race. We have our loving spiritual brothers running alongside us. While Satan provides the discouragement, let Jehovah provide the encouragement through us.. May we NEVER discourage a fellow believer. Instead let us follow the apostle Paul’s good counsel at 1 Thessalonians 5:11: “Keep comforting one another and building one another up, just as you are in fact doing.”

30. Therefore...

31. ALWAYS keep…

32. And above all remember:

34. So “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” fully confident that “in due season we shall reap if we do not tire out.” Hebrews 12:1; Galatians 6:9.

35. This was for all you “tiny frogs” out there who are running the race tirelessly KEEP IT UP!!