The parched ground shall become a pool… —Isaiah 35:7
{CHAMBERS} “We always have a vision of something before
it actually becomes real to us. When we realize that the vision is real, but is
not yet real in us, Satan comes to us with his temptations, and we are inclined
to say that there is no point in even trying to continue. Instead of the vision
becoming real to us, we have entered into a valley of humiliation. God gives us
a vision, and then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape
of that vision. It is in the valley that so many of us give up and faint. Every God-given vision will become real
if we will only have patience. […] While still in the light of the glory of the
vision, we go right out to do things, but the vision is not yet real in us. God
has to take us into the valley and put us through fires and floods to batter us
into shape, until we get to the point where He can trust us with the reality of
the vision. Ever since God gave us the vision, He has been at work. He is
getting us into the shape of the goal He has for us, and yet over and over
again we try to escape from the Sculptor’s hand in an effort to batter
ourselves into the shape of our own goal.”
{ELGIN} God calls, God prepares and God sends. That pattern is clear in the Bible. But it is not something just for the famous Bible
characters. God has called us all to some purpose in the kingdom. (Ephesians
2:10) “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good
works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We all have a place and purpose. He calls us to it, He prepares us for it, and
then He sends us to fulfill it. It may
not be leading thousands of people from bondage, but perhaps one or two by
sharing the Gospel with a friend. It may
not be traveling a great distance to preach to those who have never heard about
Jesus, but it perhaps preaching to your children through the Christ-like example
that you are living each day. Dr. James
Dobson said “Values are caught they are not taught.” It is not the Bible story that you read at
night as much as it is how you conduct yourself during the day. When I was with Promise Keepers we had a
saying .. “you can’t lead where you won’t go.
You can’t teach what you don’t know. And you can only recreate what you
are.” God must prepare you for His purpose.
The starting point of preparation, of course, is salvation. But the journey is sanctification and walking
by faith. He may very well take you
through the fiery furnace … or through a raging storm at sea … but it will
always be for a spiritual purpose. A.W.
Tozer said “God does not use a man (person) greatly, until they have been hurt
deeply.” Part of our preparation will
undoubtedly be personal trials.
(James 1:2-8) “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and
sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the
testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work
so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you
lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding
fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not
doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed
by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such
a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”
Often times we think of calling only in terms of missionaries –
pastors – teachers – evangelists. And some
are called to fulfill those roles in the Church – the Body of Christ. But we all have purpose in the Body. An Elgin axiom – “The darker the night – the brighter
the light.” A little light can be seen from a long distance. I can remember flying in the desert on a moonless
night. You could barely tell the
difference from the sky and the ground.
Then someone on the ground would break a “chem-stick” and I could see
that tiny light from a great distance. Your
light may only be bright enough to fill a room, while others can illuminate a
stadium … it doesn’t matter … the source of the light is all the same .. and
God will give you sufficient light to accomplish the purpose He has for
you. Your job – let it shine, let it
shine, let it shine!
No comments:
Post a Comment