September 1, 2010

1 Samuel 25

Do you ever stop to think that sometimes the Lord intervenes for you to keep you from sinning? He actually does something that prevents you from being able carry out a plan for wickedness! I am not sure how often He does that. Certainly, I have committed more wickedness than I want to admit; however, how many times did I have a plan in place, but in His goodness He thwarted my efforts?

After Liam was born, we did not have enough room in our car for our whole family to legally ride in the car. Laura began praying for a van before he was born. Six months after he was born, I was contemplating borrowing money to buy a van so that we could drive from North Carolina to Oklahoma to visit my parents and from North Caroline to Pennsylvania to visit Laura’s parents. Now, you might be wondering, what’s wrong with that? It is the American way! Yeah, but it wasn’t God’s way for me. I had decided more than a decade before that I would never again borrow money to purchase a car because borrowing money for a vehicle had brought me into financial bondage. An elder heard that I was thinking of borrowing money or even renting a van. He told me, “Why don’t you just borrow my van for your trip.” I thought it over for a couple of days and took him up on his offer. After I had waited and borrowed the van, the Lord prompted someone to give me a brand new van. I am still driving it to this day, almost eleven years later. I was saved from covetousness for a van.

Some people in David’s day might have said, “So what if David kills Nabal? He is such a fool; he deserves it. David has been such a benefit to Nabal; David deserved a gift from Nabal. It is only right that David kills him.” But that is not God’s way. The Lord prevented David from doing wrong by prompting Nabal’s wife Abigail to intervene. David was saved from covetousness of someone else’s wealth. It was a need that he and his men had. They deserved a gift. But he needed hold his rights loosely. And the Lord intervened. He does not always intervene. But this time he did. Isn’t He marvelous? Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

1 Corinthians 12

Part of the glory of Christ is the glory of His body. On earth we are His body. He has given each of us specific functions in His body. His glory is increased when we function properly in that which He has given us to function. Therefore, functioning well in our giftedness is essential to giving Him the glory He deserves. Have I discovered my giftedness? Am I functioning well in it? Is my giftedness a source of praise to His name or am I using it as a point of pride to exalt myself over others? Have I not found my giftedness, hiding behind a false humility which says I have nothing to contribute? He has given us our gifts so that we may glorify Him. Indeed, if we are able to do anything of eternal value, it is only because of Him. Let us minister in the realm in which He has gifted us to His glory! Let us not shy away from it nor let us exalt ourselves because of it. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor John