Gifts from God

Scott Willis was my very good friend.  He was often described as a Renaissance man because He was multi-talented in the arts.  In fact, I have never known anyone else as greatly gifted in so many areas.  His beautiful voice ministered to his fellow church members Sunday after Sunday.  His exquisite flower arrangements gave beauty to weddings and a multitude of other festive events throughout this area.  Not only was Scott a talented painter but a great art teacher as well.  The appearances of many homes in Decatur have been enhanced by his advice on colors, decorating, and furnishings.  Scott was forty seven years old when he died, but he touched and blessed the lives of many, many people during that short time because he so generously shared his talents with others.

      Spiritual gifts and natural talents such as musical or artistic ability are not necessarily the same, but they are all gifts from God.  When God wanted the Israelites to construct the Tabernacle, He had this to say in Exodus 35:30-35, 36:1, New Living Translation,  "And Moses told them, 'The Lord has chosen Bezalel.....The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, intelligence, and skill in all kinds of crafts.  He is able to create beautiful objects from gold, silver, and bronze.  He is skilled in cutting and setting gemstones and in carving wood.  In fact, he has every necessary skill.  And the Lord has given both him and Oholiab......the ability to teach their skills to others.  The Lord has given them special skills as jewelers, designers, weavers, and embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn on fine cloth.  They excel in all the crafts needed for their work.  Bezalel, Oholiab, and the other craftsmen whom the Lord has gifted with wisdom, skill, and intelligence will construct and furnish the Tabernacle, just as the Lord has commanded."  God gifted these men for the purposes of serving Him and blessing others with the beauty in the Tabernacle, and He gifts each of us for the same reasons--to serve Him and bless others.

Father, please show me how You would have me serve You and bless someone today.  Amen.    

A Good Foundation

Matthew 7:24-27,  "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew, and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

      I am adding a screened porch to the back side of my house.  The footings are poured, and the blocks have been laid.  As I look at them, I realize again how important the right foundation is in building a porch or in building a life.

      It is easy to understand why people who are not believers in Christ build their lives on such worldly foundations as fame, power, wealth, beauty, athletic ability, good times, or possessions.  Unfortunately, other people build their lives on such destructive or corrosive foundations as greed, hatred, revenge, drugs, alcohol, or crime.  However, even Christians can build their lives on the wrong foundations.

      Notice in the parable that both builders heard God's word, but the wise builder obeyed God's word as well.  The foolish builder failed to put God's word into practice but instead went his own way and did his own thing.

      If a person is obeying God's word, yielded to the lordship of God's Spirit, we should be able to see the fruit of the Spirit evidenced in his/her life-love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.  We aren't the judge of each other because we cannot see into another person's heart.  My friend Howard Ball says,  "You can spot a Christian every time--if you are God."   But I do think God tells us to be fruit inspectors to discern where people are and what their spiritual needs might be tin order to see how we could be of help.

      The storms of life eventually come to everyone.  Those who have built their lives on obedience to God and submission to Christ will withstand the winds of adversity, but those who have built on any other foundation will one day find themselves swept away in the storm.

Father, there is only one sure foundation in life, and that is You and Your word.  May I be discerning of the needs of others and help them to build on the Rock.  Amen.

Honkers or Wavers

I Thessalonians 5:11a,  "Encourage one another and build each other up."

      All too often, we can fall into the bad habit of focusing on each others' flaws and self-righteously pointing out each others' failures. 

We all have shortcomings, but, at the same time, most people have much to recommend them--talents, personality, character, intelligence.  We could be encouraging each other, helping each other to grow and improve.  We could be enjoying each other and working together for our mutual benefit, if we would concentrate on the assets of other people rather than their liabilities, if our perspective would be positive rather than negative.

      One of my all-time favorite devotionals was written by a lady named Bonnie Lukes and was published in "The Daily Guideposts." 

Bonnie's husband was driving them home in rush hour traffic one day when their car began to sputter and stall.  She said,  "Impatient commuters careened past, blasting their horns and mouthing angry words."  It made Bonnie feel disheartened to encounter such irate behavior.

      The following day Bonnie was pushing her mother in a wheel chair across a wide, busy street.  The light changed when they were midway across.  Bonnie was relieved to see that the motorists were patiently waiting and were waving her mother across the street.  Her mother was happily waving back.  Bonnie's conclusion: " THERE ARE WAVERS, AND THERE ARE HONKERS."  My questions:  Which are you?  Which do you want to be?

      We have no way of knowing the battles that other people are fighting in their lives.  Surely we do not want to add to their burdens but instead would seek to lift their spirits.

      I don't know who wrote the following poem, but it gives us food for thought.  May it be our prayer for today.

                   "Lord, give me eyes lest I, as people often will,

                    Should pass by someone's Calvary and think it just a hill."  Amen.