Verse of the day:
Genesis 48:17 Now when
Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it
displeased him; so he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from
Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.
Joseph
is a bit upset over God leading Israel to choose to bless Joseph’s younger son
Ephraim with a greater blessing than the lesser blessing bestowed over his
older son Manasseh. He seems to have forgotten that God chose him over his
older brothers to be their earthly savior. There are several examples in
Scripture where God chooses to bless the younger sibling over the older. In Israelite
culture, it was customary to bless the oldest with a double portion. Yet, we
see Isaac chosen over Ishmael, and Jacob over Esau. Later we see Moses chosen
over Aaron, and David over his older brothers, just to name a few. God does not
choose the way we choose. God give gifts, talents, and abilities, to whomever
He chooses. He uses those that seem least likely, by the world’s standard, and
raises them beyond our expectations. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 reads, “For you see your calling,
brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many
noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the
foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the
weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and
the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen,
and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that
no flesh should glory in His presence.” Sadly, there are far too many
Christians today who are wasting their talents, and abilities, trying to gain
more from the world, rather than allowing God to use them to be a blessing for
the Kingdom. Over the years I have seen less and less born again believers
surrender to serve God in the local church, but work tirelessly to make more
money, or gain power and prestige in the workplace, and in society. The world
will call us to sacrifice our lives on the altar of personal, and material,
gain, which we will happily do until we are miserable; yet, we consider
preparing a Bible lesson for a class on Sunday, or the opportunity to serve in
some other capacity to serve God’s people, to be a heavy burden that it is just
impossible to take on. Some waste far too much time comparing their talents and
abilities with others, and get discouraged because they could never do what “so
and so” is doing. Well, God did not ask you or me to do what “so and so” is
doing. He is asking us to do what He desires for us to do, and will enable us
to do it through the working of the Spirit in us, and through us. The bottom
line is that God will choose whomever He wants to choose, to accomplish
whatever it is He calls us to do. 1 Corinthians 12 is very clear that within
the body there are diverse gifts. These gifts are not for the purpose of
bringing division within the body, but bringing unity. We are to use our
differing gifts to complement one another, and work together to accomplish the
work of God. Too many spend way too much time comparing, and envying, the gifts
that others have. This envy turns into covetousness over positions within the
body that we are not called to, simply because some want to be on the
forefront, and desire the accolades of being recognized. God has chosen some of
us to do what might seem as a lesser task, and chosen some of us to do what
might seem to be great things; however, they are equally important in
accomplishing God’s work here on earth. Let us take our eyes off of what God is
doing with others, and concern ourselves with whatever race, and path, God has
chosen for us; for each of us will be rewarded, not for what we choose to do
for God ourselves, but for our faithfulness in doing what God has chosen for us
to do.
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