Availability As a Conduit of Miracle

[S] Gideon 6:13-15 --
13  Then Gideon said to him, "O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian."14  The Lord looked at him and said, "Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?"15  He said to Him, "O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house."

[O] When God called Gideon, we can see that he was aware of what God has done before through His miracles and wondering why He isn't doing anything about their stark situation. Gideon's hope had diminished at this point to nothing ("Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian").  Then God calls him to be the one to deliver His people; that is to say, that "I am here to do just that, however, this time it's going to be through your own life."  To this Gideon's response wasn't jumping up and down rejoicing but to say to God, "You sure you got the right person?  It just cannot be me."  There was a disconnect between his knowledge of knowing God's miraculous power and how that same power can work in his own life.

[A] God is all powerful.  Nothing is impossible for Him.  If I believe this, then I should also make myself available for Him to use my life to do anything He desires to accomplish His purposes in this world.  Without this understanding in my own life, I will not be ready to be used by God.

[P] Dear almighty God, let Your power reign in my own life and may my meager life take part in the amazing plan of Yours for the people on this earth.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Monitoring God at Work

[S] John 5:17 --
 ¹⁷But He answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working."

[O] Easily I can say it was easy for Jesus to know His Father was working and for Him to work along side Him.  But He was a full human and He He had to focus on what God was up to in order for Him to follow along.  Despite how He did that the key point here is the fact that He was aligning what He did with what God the Father was doing.  In order to do this, He had to know where God is at work so He may join Him there (as Dr. Henry Blackaby says in His Experiencing God).  At times I'm so busy figuring out what I need to do for God I neglect to find out where He is at work first.  It's like re-inventing the wheels all over again.  Logically speaking, I am doing God's ministry and that means God is already at work some where and my job is to follow His footsteps.

[A] Spend time of prayer to seek where God is at work around me so I may align the small group ministry at our home church to His workings already begun in the midst of us.  Try not to re-invent the ministry He already started.

[P] Dear God, although I glossed over this passage many times, today You revealed to me how important it was for Jesus' ministry to be knowing Your workings first.  Needless to say my ministry must also do that by first finding out where you're working.  I would really like to know that in many aspects and especially please reveal that to me re: the small group ministry at our church; and then about parenting my beautiful children.  I want to follow your footsteps, every step so please show me the way and open the eyes of my heart.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Lawfully Profitable and Edyfying

[S] 1 Corinthians 10:23 --
²³All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable All things are lawful, but not all things edify.

[O] This passage reminds me of limitations fo the law.  While it certainly provides protection, order, fairness, etc. it does not automatically means the end results are profitable or edifying.  The Old Testament defined the Law of God and how we are to obey it down to the details but the Israelites lived lives that were not always profitable or edifying.  So, just to focus abiding the law will not lead me to a life desired by God.  I must intentionally make efforts to make my life and those around me to be profitable or edifying.

[A] At my workplace, think about how I may be a source of blessing to them.  That is to say how my faith may play out at work such that those around me will be edifying.

[P] Dear God, at the same time I pursue to follow Your commands from the Bible, may I not forget to be edifying those around me.  May I be the one people enjoy having around them because Your blessings will be showered upon them through my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.