MEMORISE:
Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. 2 Timothy 1:6
READ: 1 Corinthians 12:1-7
1Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
MESSAGE
“A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.” Proverbs 18:16
This scripture makes clear the reason why we need to identify our gifts. However, it is one thing to identify your gift and another to put it to positive and profitable use. Paul knew this, and so be encourages his spiritual son, Timothy to stir up the gift of God which had been imparted to him by putting it to profitable use (2 Timothy 1:6). Gifts are bestowed on people for specific reasons and purposes. For example, when the Lord gave Moses the architectural design of the tabernacle, He also gifted Bezaleel and Ahollab with artisan skills to carry out the works (Exodus 31:2-6, Exodus 36:1-2). The task was so complex that only those who were given the gift of “all manner of workmanship” could have carried it out with the precision it required. At the end of the exercise, the Bible says in Exodus 39:32 & 43:
“Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they…. And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.”
Many people are gifted, but they fail to develop the gifts in them, so their gifts remain dormant and useless. Buried gifts are useless to the one who possesses them and also to the society at large, which ordinarily should benefit from them. People who fail to develop their gifts are like the proverbial unprofitable servant who refused to trade with (develop or multiply) the talent he was given by his lord (Matthew 25:14-30). The same principles apply to spiritual gifts. From today’s Bible reading we understand that even though there are various spiritual gifts, they are all given for the common purpose and goal declared in Ephesians 4:12-13, which says:
“For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
”
Everyone has a gift which we must all develop in order to be relevant in our generation. If we successfully use our gifts and bring profit to God through them, we will receive physical and spiritual rewards. Brethren, I encourage you to identify your gift, develop it and use it to glorify God and bless humanity.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please open my eyes to identify my gifts and give me all I need to develop them. Empower me also to use them to bless humanity to the glory of Your Holy Name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Joshua 8-9
Ezekiel 18:14-29
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 4: TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE
1.Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise,
Let them flow in endless praise.
2.Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3.Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
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