2009 – Day 110.Apr. 21 – Unique Techniques
Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 17: 17 - 39 … Link to study passage …
My Journal for Today: In today’s devotional from Swindoll, he has a very quotable truth as he writes, “… when facing our own giants, we forget what we ought to remember, and we remember what we ought to forget.” And this refers to how man so often gets wrapped up in externals, ignoring what is really important to do battle against the Goliaths of this life. But fortunately that’s not God’s “M.O.” God looks into the heart of a warrior; and our Lord can/will use what each of us uniquely has to do battle and be a winner in His Name.
I’m certainly glad that I can be a “David” to do battle today; and I don’t have to be a “Saul” to win Christ’s victory. Oh, it is true that I should do as much as I can to be like my Savior as possible; but I don’t have to be someone else or even to wear someone else’s armor in battle. All I have to do is do my best to imitate my Savior; and He will use me – little ole ME – to bring about His victory.
When David looked out at the Philistine, Goliath, who was so intimidating to the Hebrew army and to Saul, David saw only a man. Yes, he was a big man; but was only a man. The only big One in David’s life was God; and David had seen God do battle and defeat intimidating foes, like bears and lions in the past. And David just knew – in faith and from experience – that God could fell any Goliath using the very unique abilities David had available to him. But again, Saul thought the only way David might have a chance was to do a make over and give David his own armor. But as we read, David only felt uncomfortable trying to do battle in his own clothes, using his own, unique battle techniques.
I’m sure glad that I don’t have to be like my Pastor to serve my God. He’s loud; and I’m sort of a soft spoken type. He charismatic; and I’m certainly not. He’s in your face; and I’m a back-off sort of guy. … If I tried to be Pastor Ernie, his armor would fit me about as well as Saul’s fit David. No; … all I have to do is be Bill Berry; and I can use the unique skills and abilities God has given to me to go out on the battle-field and face my Goliaths. And beyond that, I can take my Goliaths down using the unique tools God has gifted me with to do battle.
So, look out there; and when you see a Goliath, trying to face you down, just see another pip-squeek whom God can bring down when you pick up your sling and stones to do battle for God. God only needs you, David, to be His warrior; and Goliath is no match for our God. If you memorize and believe the truths of Isaiah 41: 10, Romans 8: 31, 1st Cor. 10: 13, and 2nd Cor. 12: 9, my favorite victory verses, you can put those stones into your own unique sling and march forth to take down your Goliath, claiming the victory in Christ’s mighty Name.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, You made me to do battle and take down Goliath in Your Name. Amen
Showing posts with label uniqueness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label uniqueness. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
2009 – Day 107.Apr. 18 – Your Uniqueness
2009 – Day 107.Apr. 18 – Your Uniqueness
Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 16: 14 – 23 … Link to passage for study …
My Journal for Today: Don’t you just love the way God does His business – and carries out His will. Sometimes, even without our pro-action, God works out a way for His will to be accomplished by men who are even unaware of how things are coming together. Saul had no – conscious – idea that the young harpist and song-writer he was bringing into the palace at the recommendation of his court was the very one who had been anointed by God to replace him. And David had no idea, prior to his being called from the fields to Saul’s side, that all those years of plucking away at his harp to quiet his sheep would land him in a helping relationship with the king of God’s people. Go figure!
But that’s the point, isn’t it? There are just some things we can’t figure and must simply accept as God’s way of doing business. You may not realize it; but that Spirit-imparted gift or those gifts which you received from God when you were converted and born-again may yet be used for God’s glory in some special way. Who knows; maybe that talent God gave you, and which was developed years ago, may yet be used in some special way in God’s kingdom.
Years ago, when I was in college and moving far away from God (calling myself an “agnostic”), I had to choose a major course of study; and I chose public speaking after I got an “A” in my first speech course. So, I began taking speech and rhetoric courses and discovered – at least to my professor’s judgment – that I had a talent in speaking to groups of people. So, I developed this skill; and it took me into my graduate education where I changed my major from speech education to speech pathology. And in this course correction in my education, I learned that I had a talent to work with those adults who had poor speaking to help them become more proficient in communication. Then, some 20 years after I entered college, which took me away from God, I was broken in spirit and received Him as my Lord and Savior.
It was a few years after that I discovered that my two primary Spirit-given gifts were teaching and encouragement. Now, it didn’t take much brain power on my part to realize that the spiritual gifts which God had imparted to me were a perfect fit with the “natural” talents I had developed in my college and grad school years. Go figure! … But God certainly had figured it all out.
And now I think about it. … God takes me, while I was even rejecting Him all those years, and develops the exact skills which would match up with the gifts - He knew - I would have after I became His child and which could be used in ministry for His kingdom and His glory. And now, here I am using my teaching gifts and speaking talents to teach, preach, and disciple others in my church and in ministry. And now I also use my God-imparted encouragement gifts and the “therapy” talents I learned years ago to lift up, mentor, and encourage men who have become enslaved to sin, helping them to walk free from that imprisonment in Christ. As I look at Christ’s mission statement in Luke 4: 18-19 [link provided], I can now see that He wove together my talents and my gifts to give me the opportunity to serve His kingdom in this same mission.
My beloved fellow disciple, never discount some talent you may have or a Spirit-imparted gift God has given you. You may not yet know how; but God can, and will, use what you have or what He’s given you for His glory. And that’s why I believe every Christian should discover his/her Spiritual gift or gifts. And when you do, many times you will discover that such gifts, when paired with some ability or abilities you have – maybe something, like David, you developed years ago - can be used to advance God’s kingdom.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, use your servants for Your glory. Amen
Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 16: 14 – 23 … Link to passage for study …
My Journal for Today: Don’t you just love the way God does His business – and carries out His will. Sometimes, even without our pro-action, God works out a way for His will to be accomplished by men who are even unaware of how things are coming together. Saul had no – conscious – idea that the young harpist and song-writer he was bringing into the palace at the recommendation of his court was the very one who had been anointed by God to replace him. And David had no idea, prior to his being called from the fields to Saul’s side, that all those years of plucking away at his harp to quiet his sheep would land him in a helping relationship with the king of God’s people. Go figure!
But that’s the point, isn’t it? There are just some things we can’t figure and must simply accept as God’s way of doing business. You may not realize it; but that Spirit-imparted gift or those gifts which you received from God when you were converted and born-again may yet be used for God’s glory in some special way. Who knows; maybe that talent God gave you, and which was developed years ago, may yet be used in some special way in God’s kingdom.
Years ago, when I was in college and moving far away from God (calling myself an “agnostic”), I had to choose a major course of study; and I chose public speaking after I got an “A” in my first speech course. So, I began taking speech and rhetoric courses and discovered – at least to my professor’s judgment – that I had a talent in speaking to groups of people. So, I developed this skill; and it took me into my graduate education where I changed my major from speech education to speech pathology. And in this course correction in my education, I learned that I had a talent to work with those adults who had poor speaking to help them become more proficient in communication. Then, some 20 years after I entered college, which took me away from God, I was broken in spirit and received Him as my Lord and Savior.
It was a few years after that I discovered that my two primary Spirit-given gifts were teaching and encouragement. Now, it didn’t take much brain power on my part to realize that the spiritual gifts which God had imparted to me were a perfect fit with the “natural” talents I had developed in my college and grad school years. Go figure! … But God certainly had figured it all out.
And now I think about it. … God takes me, while I was even rejecting Him all those years, and develops the exact skills which would match up with the gifts - He knew - I would have after I became His child and which could be used in ministry for His kingdom and His glory. And now, here I am using my teaching gifts and speaking talents to teach, preach, and disciple others in my church and in ministry. And now I also use my God-imparted encouragement gifts and the “therapy” talents I learned years ago to lift up, mentor, and encourage men who have become enslaved to sin, helping them to walk free from that imprisonment in Christ. As I look at Christ’s mission statement in Luke 4: 18-19 [link provided], I can now see that He wove together my talents and my gifts to give me the opportunity to serve His kingdom in this same mission.
My beloved fellow disciple, never discount some talent you may have or a Spirit-imparted gift God has given you. You may not yet know how; but God can, and will, use what you have or what He’s given you for His glory. And that’s why I believe every Christian should discover his/her Spiritual gift or gifts. And when you do, many times you will discover that such gifts, when paired with some ability or abilities you have – maybe something, like David, you developed years ago - can be used to advance God’s kingdom.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, use your servants for Your glory. Amen
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