ENABLED, EQUIPPED, ENRICHED & EMPOWERED FROM ABOVE
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Verse for Today
2 Corinthians 3:5 - Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.
When man is strong and fit, he makes a lot of claims about himself and his capability to accomplish things for himself. But this scene soon changes to total depravity when he has health problems, and starts clamoring for help from others and gasping for breath. He quickly realizes that he is nothing but a breath and that he is like a grass which withers when the sun heats up during the day. The same weak man comes back to health and then becomes boastful and proud and makes claims about his competencies. God only sympathizes with man in his boasting, but offers him help so that he can always trust in God in weaknesses. When God controls a man's life and heart, he will change his attitude towards himself and God. He will then realize that he is not capable of any thing meaningful. He cannot extent his life for a moment more than what is determined by God, though man will try in futile. God wants to come into the lives of men and give them new purposefulness and enabling. Then we can all say that our competency and sufficiency are from God and will be able to depend on God for using us as fit instruments in His mighty hands to accomplish things for His glory. When man trusts God, he will know his inadequacies and weaknesses, but will not need to be frustrated about it because God fortifies and strengthens him to do what God wants him to do in this life. This empowerment from God comes through His Word and His Spirit. Whatever man accomplishes through his human abilities and capabilities will vanish in this life, but whatever he achieves through the power of God will have impact even in eternity.
When we examine the Bible, we see illustrations of seemingly capable and powerful men like Nimrod, Nebuchadnezzar, King Soul and scores of others who tried to achieve great things for themselves. They were boastful about what they could do, but those things did not last for long. But God used people like Abraham the shepherd, Jacob the schemer, David the forgotten shepherd boy, Gideon the fearful, Moses the timid, Jeremiah the weeping prophet, Peter the fisherman, William Carey the cobbler, Moody the shoe salesman and such others to accomplish great things which have lasting impact in the lives of people. They were all ordinary men and women, with very little formal education and poor resources, but they accomplished great things for God. They obeyed God and used God's resources to work in and through their lives with lasting results. They all acknowledged their sufficiency and competence in God and did what God enabled them to do. They never tried to accomplish great things for themselves, but attempted great things for God. Their pathway was what God showed them and they used God's methodologies to accomplish things. These men and women of God were least bothered about their material needs and worldly reputation, but focused on God's kingdom and righteousness and so God met their basic needs and used them mightily. The same challenge is before us today to see whether we want to waste our lives and energies on the temporal things of this world or put it to use as enabled by God for His purposes, honor and glory. Thus when we are in God's hands, like Paul, all that happens to us and all that we pass through are as ordained by the Lord so that we do not need to be anxious about it, but to trust in the Lord and lead a life of contentment and great expectations.
2 Corinthians 9:8 - And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance of every good deed.
Thought for Today
When God puts His ability in you, you become a mighty warrior of faith for God to accomplish great things.
Verse for Today
2 Corinthians 3:5 - Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.
When man is strong and fit, he makes a lot of claims about himself and his capability to accomplish things for himself. But this scene soon changes to total depravity when he has health problems, and starts clamoring for help from others and gasping for breath. He quickly realizes that he is nothing but a breath and that he is like a grass which withers when the sun heats up during the day. The same weak man comes back to health and then becomes boastful and proud and makes claims about his competencies. God only sympathizes with man in his boasting, but offers him help so that he can always trust in God in weaknesses. When God controls a man's life and heart, he will change his attitude towards himself and God. He will then realize that he is not capable of any thing meaningful. He cannot extent his life for a moment more than what is determined by God, though man will try in futile. God wants to come into the lives of men and give them new purposefulness and enabling. Then we can all say that our competency and sufficiency are from God and will be able to depend on God for using us as fit instruments in His mighty hands to accomplish things for His glory. When man trusts God, he will know his inadequacies and weaknesses, but will not need to be frustrated about it because God fortifies and strengthens him to do what God wants him to do in this life. This empowerment from God comes through His Word and His Spirit. Whatever man accomplishes through his human abilities and capabilities will vanish in this life, but whatever he achieves through the power of God will have impact even in eternity.
When we examine the Bible, we see illustrations of seemingly capable and powerful men like Nimrod, Nebuchadnezzar, King Soul and scores of others who tried to achieve great things for themselves. They were boastful about what they could do, but those things did not last for long. But God used people like Abraham the shepherd, Jacob the schemer, David the forgotten shepherd boy, Gideon the fearful, Moses the timid, Jeremiah the weeping prophet, Peter the fisherman, William Carey the cobbler, Moody the shoe salesman and such others to accomplish great things which have lasting impact in the lives of people. They were all ordinary men and women, with very little formal education and poor resources, but they accomplished great things for God. They obeyed God and used God's resources to work in and through their lives with lasting results. They all acknowledged their sufficiency and competence in God and did what God enabled them to do. They never tried to accomplish great things for themselves, but attempted great things for God. Their pathway was what God showed them and they used God's methodologies to accomplish things. These men and women of God were least bothered about their material needs and worldly reputation, but focused on God's kingdom and righteousness and so God met their basic needs and used them mightily. The same challenge is before us today to see whether we want to waste our lives and energies on the temporal things of this world or put it to use as enabled by God for His purposes, honor and glory. Thus when we are in God's hands, like Paul, all that happens to us and all that we pass through are as ordained by the Lord so that we do not need to be anxious about it, but to trust in the Lord and lead a life of contentment and great expectations.
2 Corinthians 9:8 - And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance of every good deed.
Thought for Today
When God puts His ability in you, you become a mighty warrior of faith for God to accomplish great things.
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