the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Voice of the Lord
He gave gifts to mankind (Psalm 68:18).
Moshe (Moses) grew up in the household of Pharaoh, accustomed to making laws obeyed by a consenting multitude. He was a general, experienced in leading large armies across vast deserts. He was uniquely gifted for his calling. Fifteen hundred years later, God gave the job of establishing congregations among the Gentiles to Rabbi Sha'ul (Saul; i.e., Paul) of Tarsus, an experienced Jewish religious leader, a Pharisee of Pharisees who studied at the feet of Rabbi Gamli'el (Gamaliel).
Denying gifts that God has given us will not make us humble. It will not make us spiritual. God rejoices in how he has made us, and summons us to yield ourselves to his leading, so that we may use all that we are to serve his purposes (Romans 6:13,19).
Of course, it is important to recognize that human gifts only go so far. While Moshe's leadership skills were crucial during the trek from Egypt to Israel, they were useless when the need was the parting of the Red Sea.
Is it not uplifting to consider that while we seek to be worthy stewards of the natural gifts we have been given (Matthew 25:14-28), God is well able to bring us challenges that force us to humbly tap into God's ability (Matthew 14:28-29)?
...ask God for the grace to see myself accurately. I will use the gifts the Lord has given me, and I will not grieve my Creator by walking in pride because of them(1 Corinthians 4:7).
BC
The Voice of the Lord, Copyright © 1998 by the Lewis and Harriet Lederer Foundation, Inc. Published by Messianic Jewish Publishers, Distributed by Messianic Jewish Resources, www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved. Used by permission. No part of this article may be reproduced in print or on the web, or transmitted in any form, without the written permission of the publisher.
