September 15, 2013 … Tooled-up for service

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 258

Devotional Song: Go to this link -  Please take in this poignant, personal, and powerful song, sung by Daniel O’Donnell, singing, … Here I Am, Lord, reminding us that God will call us for His service; but we must answer.

Highlight meditation passage – Judges 6: 20-21 [NLT]: …  
20 The angel of God said to him, “Place the meat and the unleavened bread on this rock, and pour the broth over it.” And Gideon did as he was told. 21 Then the angel of the LORD touched the meat and bread with the tip of the staff in his hand, and fire flamed up from the rock and consumed all he had brought. And the angel of the LORD disappeared.
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Highlight reading study of Judges, Chapters 6`: Go to this link …

Reference Passage #1: Matthew 4: 18-20 [God often calls us right from where we are.] … [NLT] …  18 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 20 And they left their nets at once and followed Him.

Reference Passage #2: Romans 12: 6-8 [Whatever God gives us to serve Him, we are to use His gifts, tools, or talents for His glory.] … [NLT] …
6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

  Reference Passage #3: Acts 1: 8 [When God calls us, He gives us the power to serve Him.] … [NLT] …
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

My Journal for Today: Os Hillman, in writing his devotional blogs, primarily for workplace believers, reminds his readers that God so often, in scriptural teaching, called His servants right from their workplace; and He always gave them what it took to get the job done for God.

In today’s highlight example we see God calling Gideon away from his wheat thrashing, and calling this young man, whom God dubbed “a mighty warrior,” to come out and be much more than Gideon ever imagined he could be for God. And, as you can read in Judges, Chapter 6 linked above, Gideon had trouble seeing himself as God saw him; and he first balked at doing what God was calling him to do. That’s a pattern which we so often see as God calls His servants.

Moses was called from his shepherding and given a staff to serve God; but Moses, like Gideon, had trouble with the calling at the outset. Think of others, like Nehemiah being called to build the walls in Jerusalem, God calling him away from his job as cup bearer for the king in Persia. And you remember how difficult it was for many of the twelve Disciples in following Jesus, even though they might have followed Him when called them from their work. Notice (in Matthew 4: 18-20) how Jesus called these servants away from their life-long work sites; giving them the charge to follow and serve Him. The did follow; but later they often balked at what God called them to do.

It’s often difficult in our work-a-day world to hear and receive God’s calling to serve Him, even if He’s just calling us to serve right there in our work-a-day world. But remember, (see Romans 12: 6-8, passage copied above), when God calls us to serve Him, He gives us the tools (i.e., His talents and gift[s]) to serve Him. And as is revealed in Acts 1: 8 (cited above), God will always be there enabling and empowering us to witness for Him, either on our worksite or in some special calling which He has for our future.

If you take the time to listen to Daniel O’Donnell singing today’s devotional song [linked above] and then to take in and meditate on the scriptures provided for today’s study, you’ll likely come away from this blog, as I have, with the realization that we’re called and gifted, very personally, to serve God; and most often, God’s calling us to serve right where He’s placed us to be His servants. But if the Lord calls us away from our work-site in service to Him, He’ll give us whatever it takes to be His servant.

So, … let’s go serve Him today!

My Prayer for Today … Here I am, Lord; … use me! … Amen