As it says elsewhere in I Corinthians,” The Holy Spirit bestows certain gifts to certain people, not the same to all.” The gifts that the Lord gives us are meant to mesh and complement our individual personalities and bents. God uses what we have…not what we wish we had. You might wish that you could sing God’s praise before thousands…but if you don’t have much of a singing voice, I doubt whether the Lord will place you on stage. Our gifts from Him are as individualized as we are.
Category: Daily Inspirational Devotional
PSALM 139:1 ” O Lord, you have searched me and know me.”
The Lord knows you intimately…He understands you better than you understand yourself. He knows every deep dark secret in your heart and still loves you. The Lord not only sees everything you do, but keeps count of every step you take. No one knows you better than the Lord…before even a word is out of your mouth He knows it completely. What better person than to put your complete trust in Him today.
I Thessalonians 3:12 ” May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.”
Christian love…brotherly love…love for each other. In this fast pace, hectic world we sure could use more of it. In our daily grind, we too often forget that the person behind the checkout, or assisting us with a purchase is also a fellow brother in Christ, and deserving of our love and respect. Practicing brotherly love takes just that…practice. And it takes practicing it in mundane places that makes the most impact for the Lord.
Proverbs 15:6 ” The house of the righteous contains great treasure.”
I had the opportunity this morning to visit the Church of my childhood. While the people may have changed some, and they have enlarged the building…in many ways it hasn’t changed at all. The stained glass windows were the same, the pews and lighting unchanged…even the color of the sanctuary was as I remembered. In many ways it was very comforting to see my memories still there, still standing strong, still as I remembered.
Jeremiah 15: 11 ” The Lord said, ‘ Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose; surely I will make your enemies plead with you in times of disaster and times of distress.’ “
Do you know God has an ultimate purpose for your life? Now, before you shake you head and tell me God could never use you…let’s think about it. The Lord used Jonah, even though he said no, and ran as far away as he could from God. The Lord used Rahab the prostitute to hide the Israelite spies in the city of Jericho despite her former life-style. The Lord used Peter, even though he used to stick his foot in his mouth on a regular basis. So see, you’re in good company…God uses everyday people to do unbelievable and unimaginable things. What it takes on your part, is just willingness and obedience to listen to that still small voice inside you.
Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Our words should be tempered with the love of Christ…our actions showing His character and love. We should be ever grateful and continually honoring our Lord in everything we do and say… everyday…and to everyone we come in contact with.
Judges 4:9 ” Very well, Deborah said, I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman.”
Deborah had the distinction of being both a Judge and a Prophetess over Israel when she called Barak and gave him a command from the Lord. ‘Go, take 10,000 troops with you and I will lure your enemy Sisera and his troops into your hands.’ Barak was willing to go, but only if Deborah went with him. She agreed, but told him in the end it would be a woman getting the praise for the death of Sisera not him. As all of his troops fell around him, Sisera fled to a tent where Jael, a Kenite woman stood. He asked her to hide him, so she covered him inside the tent and stood at the entrance watching. But after Sisera fell asleep, she quietly slipped to him with a tent-peg and a hammer and drove the peg through his temple and he died at her feet. Thus the prophesy was fulfilled by her being honored rather than Barak.
Acts 17: 28 ” For in Him we live and move and have our being.”
I think Job 12:10 said it best, ” In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” The Lord holds our very life in His hand…for without Him we are nothing. We can go without oxygen for about 3 minutes, without water for about 3 days, and without food for about 3 weeks…but we can’t go even 3 seconds without God giving us life.
I Kings 3:25 ” He then gave an order: Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”
Wise King Solomon had quite a dilemma brought before him to judge…two prostitutes who lived together had just both given birth to baby boys…during the night one had smothered her infant while she slept, so she switched babies…but the mother of the live baby knew the difference, but couldn’t prove it. Now here they were in front of King Solomon arguing their case. The rather barbaric decree Solomon gave was intended to flush out the truth…It says that, “The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the King, ‘Please my Lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!’ ” Hearing such a merciful and sensitive outburst coming from this woman, King Solomon then knew who the true mother of the baby was.
Habakkuk 3: 17-18 ” Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”
There comes times in everyone’s life when we feel all is lost and ruined…everywhere we look in our lives we see devastation and destruction. When we are staring at this bleak landscape called our life, we need to do what Habakkuk did. He used one tiny word to change his mindset and attitude. That word was “yet”. That little word allowed him to place his focus on and draw strength from his Lord and Savior, and in doing so was able to rejoice in the face of ruin.
Safetypinlove 