Commentary
HELLO??
Remember when you’re talkin’ to the man upstairs
That just because he may not answer doesn’t mean he don’t care
Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered
Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers
THINGS TO PONDER…
Let Me Be Your Witness
My Hand
Most tools and other functional objects I use to equip me for life are intended for one purpose. Whether it’s a hammer, a screw driver, or a laptop computer, they’re intended to do one thing—not so the hand!
As I sat there contemplating my hand and its amazing versatility, it occurred to me that my hand is just one component of an overall incredible construct: the human body. Prepare to be in awe when you take the time to consider other amazing body parts. Consider the functionality of your eye, for example. Or the constant pounding sustained by your feet, or your heart that faithfully beats a few billion times over a typical lifetime—Of all that God has created, mankind has to be the epitome of God’s great artistry, created in His own image [Gen 1:27] and He called it “very good.” [Gen 1:31]
As I thought about my amazing body and how creative, wise, and artistic God is, another thought occurred to me. The Bible says in Romans [Rom 1:19-20] that we know intuitively that God made all of creation and, as it goes on to say, we are fools if we deny that and fail to honor Him.
That led me to another associated thought: if we look around us, we have to conclude that a very powerful Being (and artistic being, we call Him God) created all that we see. Yet, as it occurred to me, we would know virtually nothing about God except what He has created and that which we can see with our eyes. So how did our knowledge increase: He told us!
Yes, what a wonderful gift is the Bible, the Word of God. Without it we would not know the name of God (or that of His Son). But, with the Bible in our hands, we can read words that came forth from the very mouth of God Himself! And stories of His interactions with men and women just like us. Not to mention the works of His Son on our behalf to buy our freedom from sin and death! God gave us His Word just so we could know Him so much better.
I can only conclude that He must love us a lot given His efforts in creating me and you, and in His work to give us the Book that tells us all we need to know about Him. I hope you read it often!
Just As You Are
Luke 12:20, KJV
2 Corinthians 6:2, KJV
Softly, and tenderly, He’s calling to you…
Are you almost persuaded to come?
As He stands at the portals of Heaven, just waiting…
He’s calling to YOU… “Please…come home!”
Ask Him to search your poor heart today,
Then, come…just as you are!
He’ll wash you whiter than the snow…
This Lily of the Valley…this Bright and Morning Star!
Let Him search your heart…
Let Him change you today.
He’s the Truth…the Life…
He’s the ONLY Way!
So…come to Him now-
Just as you are;
Let Him free you from sin…
Just open your hearts door!
When you hear Him knock…
Open it wide, and ask Him in…
For softly and tenderly, He’s calling to you…
Just listen…and come as you are!
What Kind Of Tool Are You?
Pastor has been doing a series of sermons titled, Equipped 2 Serve. In this series, we as Believers are learning how to make a difference in the world in which we live. We are learning our purpose, or put another way, we are finding out what kind of tool God made us to be. We are all made with specific skills-unique to the purpose God has designed for us! What a wonderful thought! There’s no one quite like me…or like you; we are Special in God’s eyes, created for a certain task and time.
I woke up thinking about tools, and their specific use. I know…weird huh?! But the above verse came to mind. I used the word tools, the Bible uses the word, vessels. Either way, they are things used for specific purposes. We always hear, and I believe the Bible teaches that we all were created for a purpose. The main purpose I believe is to glorify God, and bring others to Salvation. However, we are all endowed with different gifts to bring glory to God and show Salvation to the world. Some folks are musicians, others, teachers, preachers, evangelists, prayer warriors, counselors, etc. Some of us don’t have great titles like the ones I just mentioned, but we are nonetheless just as important. We may fall into the category of janitors, maintenance folks, hospitality and the like, but our job is necessary and important! The “tool” part of my thinking came about as I searched the ‘junk-drawer’ (come on! I know everyone has one of these…I’m not alone!) for a screwdriver to tighten a screw that had come loose on a cabinet door. During my search, I found a pair of pliers, a wrench, some needle-nose pliers…. And finally, I found a screwdriver! But alas, it had the wrong tip on it! Even tools that look the same, upon closer examination are different and are used for SPECIFIC jobs. So, what is my point here? Well…God wants us all to know that even though we may look the same…we are all human, we eat, sleep, cry, laugh, walk, talk…pretty much the same way, but each of us is unique. God gave special gifts to us that only we can wield in His perfection to do His will! You can’t use a Phillips screwdriver on a slotted screw! You have to use the right tool in order to get the correct result! This is just a reminder, and an encouragement to all of us Believers, myself included, to remember what kind of tool we are; and if we don’t yet know…this is an urgent message for us to go to God and find out! God can’t use you or the gifts He placed in you until YOU KNOW what kind of tool you are! Then, when He goes looking through the drawer for a specific tool to use…if you’re it, be sure to shout out…”Here I am Lord! Use me!”