So, again, God says to me - "I'll handle the details." If you look back to my last post, toward the end I said,"he is the one who will lead me, guide me, and grow me to where he wants me to be in Him. If only I will allow it. I am still scared, but God is faithful even when I don’t completely trust Him or myself. He will bring us to where we need to be. He will provide the tools, skills, and talents necessary to complete the work He has for us - if we are willing to allow it and trust in Him."
This afternoon (3 days later), I pulled up my daily devotional that I am so fond of now only to read todays prayer - and I'm going to put the whole thing in here because this is just God confirming things to me over and over and over again.
Today's prayer was "Dear Father in Heaven, I know that You have given me special gifts, talents, and abilities to use in Your service. Please stir up those gifts, talents, and abilities within me. Help me to see how and what I am to do for You. Work through me, through the power of Your Holy Spirit, to accomplish Your purpose and to draw people to Yourself. I know that all that is done through me is not of my own power, but of Your power, God. May You be glorified. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen."
Is it me or is God reading my mind (or blog) again.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008
I Want To Be An Oak Tree
I get a lot of insight from the Daily Devotional that I receive every morning (it’s called Prime Time with God, and it is based on the TGIF – Today God Is First devotional by Os Hillman. They come with a daily prayer as well as a daily devotional). I never thought of myself as one who would “get insight” into anything. My wife, on the other hand is amazing in how she pulls deep thoughts and truths out of what I might see as the smallest things.
Anyway, since I started mysteriously receiving these devotionals (I did not sign up for them – they just started coming) I have been able to see how almost each and every one can apply to my life in one or more ways. Most of the time they are speaking to a situation, or problem, or prayer request that is current in my life.
Yesterday, 6-1-08, I read through the prayer and devotional. Both could be applied to my life right in that particular moment. God is so good. The prayer talked about an old children’s song “I am a promise, I am a possibility…” I have been struggling with God’s call on my life into full time ministry. I am by nature – NOT a “social” person. I actually don’t mind going to a party and holding up the wall. I’m most definitely not a conversationalist – I struggle to carry on the most menial conversation (not with my friends, but with acquaintances, strangers, people I’m not around a lot). I know that in ministry I will have to be good at these things – and I’m NOT. But this short daily prayer, as it talked about that little kids’ song, said God, “In Jesus, I am a great big bundle of potentiality. I pray that you would fill me with your wisdom and guide me in your will. I pray that I will be obedient to you and keep my focus on you. I ask this so that I will reach the potential you have planned for me.”
You know what? I do pray that – but I am scared – and then God reminds me of Moses, who pretty much said the same thing. God, are you nuts? I’m shy…I’m insecure, I can’t talk in front of people, I can’t be a leader. But I do trust God; I know that He can give me the ability that I need at any given moment. But I’m still scared. My prayer is that God will give me the strength for the task at hand and that he will calm my fears.
The devotional of the day was called “Oaks of Righteousness.” It talked about a man who was in the worst time of his life, who felt betrayed by God. He was so angry that he stormed out of his house and yelled at God. He even told God that he hated him. Can you imagine? Yelling at the creator of the universe? I can. I have been there. It was a few years ago now, but I was there. This man sat down on an old broken and fallen oak tree. He sat there for hours weeping and wondering why God would abandon him and had allowed this to happen to him – someone who had been faithful. I’ve been there – right there!! As this man got up to leave he saw that the fallen tree was pointed toward the base of yet another oak tree – a strong tree, a tall tree, with wide spreading branches. As I read the next few lines in the devotional I cried. I heard words very similar to the ones he heard in my spirit when I was struggling a few years ago. Today, like this broken oak tree, you are a broken man. But this brokenness was needed in order for you to become like the large, strong oak tree that stands before you.
Here’s the point. God spoke to me years ago, but I had forgotten. He used this devotional today to remind me that he is the one who will lead me, guide me, and grow me to where he wants me to be in Him. If only I will allow it. I am still scared, but God is faithful even when I don’t completely trust Him or myself. And that faithfulness on the part of my God helps build and complete my trust in Him. God didn’t hate me when I shared my true feelings with Him, and he won’t hate you either. He is willing to listen to us, and we must be willing to listen to Him after we are through yelling at Him. He will bring us to where we need to be. He will provide the tools, skills, and talents necessary to complete the work He has for us - if we are willing to allow it and trust in Him.
It’s hard – I still struggle with it and fight against it from time to time (translated A LOT) – but we must allow God to build us up into the strong man or woman of God that He desires us to be.
Anyway, since I started mysteriously receiving these devotionals (I did not sign up for them – they just started coming) I have been able to see how almost each and every one can apply to my life in one or more ways. Most of the time they are speaking to a situation, or problem, or prayer request that is current in my life.
Yesterday, 6-1-08, I read through the prayer and devotional. Both could be applied to my life right in that particular moment. God is so good. The prayer talked about an old children’s song “I am a promise, I am a possibility…” I have been struggling with God’s call on my life into full time ministry. I am by nature – NOT a “social” person. I actually don’t mind going to a party and holding up the wall. I’m most definitely not a conversationalist – I struggle to carry on the most menial conversation (not with my friends, but with acquaintances, strangers, people I’m not around a lot). I know that in ministry I will have to be good at these things – and I’m NOT. But this short daily prayer, as it talked about that little kids’ song, said God, “In Jesus, I am a great big bundle of potentiality. I pray that you would fill me with your wisdom and guide me in your will. I pray that I will be obedient to you and keep my focus on you. I ask this so that I will reach the potential you have planned for me.”
You know what? I do pray that – but I am scared – and then God reminds me of Moses, who pretty much said the same thing. God, are you nuts? I’m shy…I’m insecure, I can’t talk in front of people, I can’t be a leader. But I do trust God; I know that He can give me the ability that I need at any given moment. But I’m still scared. My prayer is that God will give me the strength for the task at hand and that he will calm my fears.
The devotional of the day was called “Oaks of Righteousness.” It talked about a man who was in the worst time of his life, who felt betrayed by God. He was so angry that he stormed out of his house and yelled at God. He even told God that he hated him. Can you imagine? Yelling at the creator of the universe? I can. I have been there. It was a few years ago now, but I was there. This man sat down on an old broken and fallen oak tree. He sat there for hours weeping and wondering why God would abandon him and had allowed this to happen to him – someone who had been faithful. I’ve been there – right there!! As this man got up to leave he saw that the fallen tree was pointed toward the base of yet another oak tree – a strong tree, a tall tree, with wide spreading branches. As I read the next few lines in the devotional I cried. I heard words very similar to the ones he heard in my spirit when I was struggling a few years ago. Today, like this broken oak tree, you are a broken man. But this brokenness was needed in order for you to become like the large, strong oak tree that stands before you.
Here’s the point. God spoke to me years ago, but I had forgotten. He used this devotional today to remind me that he is the one who will lead me, guide me, and grow me to where he wants me to be in Him. If only I will allow it. I am still scared, but God is faithful even when I don’t completely trust Him or myself. And that faithfulness on the part of my God helps build and complete my trust in Him. God didn’t hate me when I shared my true feelings with Him, and he won’t hate you either. He is willing to listen to us, and we must be willing to listen to Him after we are through yelling at Him. He will bring us to where we need to be. He will provide the tools, skills, and talents necessary to complete the work He has for us - if we are willing to allow it and trust in Him.
It’s hard – I still struggle with it and fight against it from time to time (translated A LOT) – but we must allow God to build us up into the strong man or woman of God that He desires us to be.
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