Boast the Most

Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.

1st Samuel 2:3 NIV

Nobody likes a braggart. I can do this, and I can do that, and I can do the other thing, and I - I - I...  Well, you may be able to, but if so, it's because God gave you the talent...and the opportunity...and the connections...and the wherewithal to accomplish it. Any talents or giftings you have, you didn't get on your own. You may have worked to develop it, but even the ability to do that is a gift from God. We can't take any credit for it - or at least we shouldn't. I believe that Scripture reads, All glory TO GOD! (emphasis mine).

I am reminded of a story that was circulating through e-mail a few years back.

God is sitting in Heaven when a scientist says to Him, "Lord, we don't need You anymore. Science has finally figured out a way to create life out of nothing. In other words, we can now do what You did in the beginning."
"Oh, is that so? Tell me..." replies God.
"Well," says the scientist, "we can take dirt and form it into the likeness of You and put oxygen into it, thus creating a living, breathing man."
"Well, that's interesting. Show me."
So the scientist bends down to the earth and starts to mold the soil.
"Oh no, no, no..." interrupts God, "You said you don't need Me anymore."
"That's right," smirked the scientist. As he reached again for the dirt, God put His hand out and stopped him.
When the scientist looked questioningly at God, God simply said, "Create your own dirt."

Psalm 34:1-3 reads, I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.

Prayer:

Father,

         Let us never forget it's only because of You that we are even able to breathe. When we boast, let it always be about You - the One most worth it. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Mere Humans

This is what the Lord says: Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord.

Jeremiah 17:5 New Living Translation

People are looking for answers - a way out. They are desperate. They've looking to everybody and ANYbody to help them out. Some think the government will fix it. Some think the banks. Some think a revolution - but they're looking at something other than God. It doesn't matter who's the smoothest talker - or the savviest strategist - or the most brilliant business man. If we're looking at a person - trusting them to get it done - we're cursed.  

True - there are many talented people. Stand around any coffee pot or water cooler, and you'll learn about new ones all the time. We've talked about it here before - the different talents people have. Most of the time when we think of talent, we think of performers or athletes or the arts, but there are many forms of talent. How often do we recognize someone's ability to be very organized? How about the one who will just get in there and get it done - whatever it is? What about the person whose greatest strength is the peace that emanates from their quiet spirit and envelops those around them wherever they go? Have you ever just looked for the talents in people? The good in them? What about the one at work who will ALWAYS make the pot of coffee for the next guy? The one who always makes you laugh. The one who somehow knows when you need a little something to pick you up.

Everybody has something they're good at - something that just seems to come naturally to them. Many times, the average person doesn't even recognize the significance of it or how unique the talent is simply because they can do it - so they think everyone can. Unless, of course, they're a performer or professional athlete or make megabucks with their talent. That's a little different, or so it seems, but the truth of the matter is this. God created each of us. His Word says while we were in the womb, He formed us and fashioned us to be able to accomplish His purpose for our lives. Any talent, gifting, "natural" ability - it was all put in there by God. We can't take any credit for it. 

If you're an athlete, God gave you the ability to be strong, to be quick and agile. And He gave you the desire to win. Someone might argue that you exercised, you did the time in the gym, on the track, on the field. You honed the skills. That may be a fact, but the Truth is, God gave you the muscles that would develop. He kept you in health, so you could endure. He gave you the intelligence to recognize what you had to do in order to accomplish all those things. If you're a performer - a singer, for instance - you may have taken endless hours of lessons and practiced at every opportunity, but it wouldn't matter how many lessons or great instructors, if you had no voice to begin with. No ability to carry a tune or recognize one - even if you practiced 3 times longer than you were instructed.

You don't need any more illustrations - I know you get the picture. WhatEVER your talent is - whatever the position in life is - when we boil it all down, we have one common denominator. God and what He put in us. And that's Who we better trust - no matter what we're believing for.

Prayer:

Father,

         Zero in on those things we're trusting in that are NOT you. Reveal anything and everything where we may have mistakenly placed our trust. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Yes! You Can!!

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.

Matthew 25:14-15 NLT

Have you ever blown something out of proportion or been around someone who has? It's shocking to me how quickly some small, insignificant something can be so distorted. However, I guess it shouldn't be when you stop to consider the snake behind it all spewing slander, self-righteousness and false pride to fuel the flame - in his effort to divide and conquer. 

And that same devil sure has a heyday with this Scripture. Can't you just hear him back then - in the ear of the servant who only got one bag of silver (in the KJV - one talent - which refers to a weight measurement of approximately 75lbs - not a talent as we define it today - musician, singer, preacher, etc). Can't you just imagine the thoughts going through that "one talent" servant's head? What about today?

     Oh, he got five!

     Oh, he got two!

     I only got one! What's up with that? That's not fair. He obviously doesn't think I can handle more than that. Well, I know how he thinks. I'll show him. I'll hide it someplace safe so when he comes back, I'll give every bit of it right back to him."

But the Truth is, we don't know how He thinks... Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.  

I cannot possibly tell you how many times I've read this portion of Scripture. And every time I've read it, I missed the part about dividing it in proportion to their abilities. God, in His infinite love and mercy, gives each of us what He knows we can do using what He Himself gives us. 

Yes, there are people who know how to make money. They're good at it - because it's a God-given ability, but those same people are generally not the same people who can sit with a hurting soul and pour in loving comfort. Is one more important than the other? I guess it depends on what your need is. That could be why one gets 5 and the other 2 and the other only 1. It could just be a matter of how much time is needed to extend or expend the gift(s). Does that put it back into proportion for you?

Can you take what God has gifted you with and multiply it to those made in His image (every living human being)? Yes, you can! Remember what He said...dividing it in proportion to their abilities.  Discover the Truth about the verse. 

One more time - God, in His infinite love and mercy, gives each of us what He knows we CAN do using what He Himself gives us. 

Go on! Do it! Yes! You can!!

Prayer:

Father,

        You are the Author and the Finisher of our faith and our ability and our very lives. Help us to see You in all that we've been given as a blessing or given to BE a blessing. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen