USE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE

            One Sunday a pastor got up to begin the Sunday morning service and realized the pianist was absent. He asked his congregation, “Is there anyone here who can play the piano?” A little girl held up her hand and said, “Yes, preacher. My daddy plays.” Though a regular member, no one realized the man could play the piano. He went to the piano and played each hymn – with one finger. After the service the minister realized that the “pianist” was embarrassed and went to him to apologize. As they talked, the minister learned the man was a famous surgeon who deeply loved the Lord and was willing to use every talent God gave him whenever he could.

                God has given every one of us different gifts, abilities, and talents. We may think that some of them are important while we see others as insignificant. But in God’s eyes they are all critical in our service to Him. The real question is whether we are willing to use everything we have for His glory. Take an honest look at what God has placed in your hands. It may be a professional skill, a simple ability, a listening ear, or a heart of encouragement. Whatever it is, do not hold back. Use everything you have, right where you are, for the Lord who gave it to you. Even the smallest gift, offered with a willing heart, becomes valuable in His service.

Prayer: Father, open my eyes that I may see the needs around me, and with Your help, meet them. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

– Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. 1 Timothy 4:14

Beyond Gifts

Often we deceive ourselves without realizing it. Our hearts can be deeply moved when we learn of an urgent need to do something special for our Lord. We gladly give sometimes, to the point when we ourselves have to do without. That is God-honoring and will not go unnoticed by Him. We tend to take great satisfaction when He honors us for our faithfulness to Him.

And no doubt there have been times when we have done this and God has blessed us in ways that we never thought possible. Again, it is His way of blessing us for blessing Him. And heaven rejoices.

But David reminds us that there is something more that God wants from us than any gift we could give Him. In fact, he says that “sacrifices and offerings,” even “burnt offerings and sin offerings you not require. What is it, then that You want from me God?”

After a moment he said, “Then I realized” that what You want is ME! And he continued by exclaiming: “Here I am. I have come back and desire to do Your will. Your law is within my heart.” He could not escape God’s presence. God’s law was written in his heart and it was His Word that convicted him.

David realized that none of his possessions made any difference to God. Nothing he had given or could give to God was of any significance – now or in the future. God wanted him completely to Himself to do whatever He, his Master, had for him to do. David, the Lord’s anointed, finally presented himself in complete dedication to his God.

Prayer: Lord, may Your Spirit trouble our hearts and give us no peace until we surrender ourselves to You to do the work You have for us. Let us be the gift You most desire. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 40:8 I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.

Searching For Victory

During one of his fights Gene Tunney broke both of his hands. Some thought that he would never fight again because of the severe damage. However, he did not give up boxing and years later said that “breaking my hands was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Realizing that he would never be able to hit his opponents hard enough to win a world championship by knocking them out, he chose to become a scientific fighter. So, he decided that he would become a boxer and not a slugger. As a result of that decision he became a champion.

Often the obstacles we face in life are God’s way of actually giving us an opportunity to grow and develop and learn faith and trust. Many times we come face to face with unforeseen and overwhelming problems we never thought we would have to face. They may be simple or significant, large or small, few or many. But each and every one of them come to us as a gift from God and are a sign of His grace and overflowing love to offer us an opportunity to grow into His likeness.

What may seem as something that would destroy us may be God’s way of presenting a new opportunity to us to prove the promises in His Word. With His power and strength, with His wisdom and knowledge, with His guidance and protection we can overcome all things.

Prayer: Increase our faith, Father, and enable us to see beyond what is to what can be. Open our eyes and minds that we may willingly see You at work in our lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

The Typewriter

C.L. Sholes enjoyed building things. He spent many hours alone trying to make life better through his inventions. One of his serious ambitions was to make a machine that would print his thoughts faster than he could write them. From this desire came the typewriter.

He worked on this “machine” for years. At the end of the Civil War he made an agreement with Remington and Sons to manufacture 1,000 typewriters. They were to sell for $125.00 each. But the people who bought them and the people who tried them out were not impressed. In fact, the company was about to go bankrupt in 1880.

Then one of their salesmen thought of the business community. He reasoned that if the people who wrote important letters could do it faster and neater it would make businesses more profitable. He was right! In six years nearly every business office that could afford a typewriter had a typewriter.

The Psalmist said, “Happy are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord.” Our God is the God of hope and help. What more is there?

Often we have what it takes to make a difference in our life and in the lives of others. We try but nothing happens. But when we offer whatever we have to God and ask Him to bless it for His good, we can count on His help and hope that He will reward us for our faithfulness.

Prayer: Lord, may we use every gift and talent You have given us to honor You. May the work of our hands and the desires of our hearts bring goodness to all. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God. Psalm 146:5