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    An out-of-towner drove his car into a ditch in a desolated area. Luckily, a local farmer came to help with his big strong horse named Buddy.

    He hitched Buddy up to the car and yelled, “Pull, Nellie, pull!” Buddy didn’t move. Then the farmer hollered, “Pull, Buster, pull!” Buddy didn’t respond. Once more the farmer commanded, “Pull, Coco, pull!” Nothing.

    Then the farmer nonchalantly said, “Pull, Buddy, pull!” And the horse easily dragged the car out of the ditch.

    The motorist was most appreciative and very curious. He asked the farmer why he called his horse by the wrong name three times.

    The farmer said, “Oh, Buddy is blind and if he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn’t even try!” We’re a lot like Buddy. We don’t like to do something if we think we’re the only one pulling. Need an example?

“If he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn’t even try!”

    Ever said, “Why should I pour my time and effort into the work of the church? No one else seems to care!”

    Or, “Why should I put forth the extra effort to do a good job at work? No one else does, and it wouldn’t be appreciated anyway!”

    Or, “Why should I be nice to him? He’s certainly not going to make any effort to be nice to me!”

    See what I mean? Like Elijah in the cave, we say to God, “I alone am left.” (I Kings 19:10) Nobody else is faithful. Nobody else is trying.

    But God told Elijah he had 7,000 on his side. Like Buddy and Elijah, we may be blind. Blind to what others are doing around us. But, even if we are the only one doing what is right, we need to continue. Better still, let’s find a group of other men and make a commitment to encourage and support each other, today!

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.” Hebrews 3:12-14