Perhaps one of the best, most successful, and well loved Generals of world war II was General Montgomery. Before he left the Eighth Army in 1944 he took over an opera house in Italy to say his “goodbyes”. The packed crowd saw him not just as a General but as a friend in whom they had every confidence, and here was a General who had absolute confidence in every man.
The secret of that success was expressed as the General was leaving the stage. Some Private shouted out “Good Old Monty!” . Montgomery turned and shouted “Cheerio Boys”.
Do you think of Jesus as even more highly than that ? How is THAT relationship ?
A crow was dying of thirst and could find nothing to drink. Then after much searching he found a narrow necked jug with some water right at the bottom. He tried so hard but the neck of the jug was too narrow for him to reach the water, he tried to knock the jug over or break it but he was unable to do so. Looking around he saw a small area where there were some small pebbles, he flew there and slowly, one at a time, he picked up pebbles and dropped them into the jug. As the pebbles began to fill the jug so the water got nearer to the top which encouraged him to keep collecting stones and put them in. He was soon drinking.
If God has given you a talent which can serve Him, search for ways in which you can best use that talent, and don’t give up working on it until you achieve your goal. All talented people have to work and practice at their skills before they reach their best.
Never forget what Jesus said “Without Me, you can do nothing”. It is He who does the work. At the age of fifteen I became a Lay Preacher and I started a habit which I always used through my long preaching life.
I prayed to be given the theme that God wanted me to preach upon. I prayed to be guided with the preparation. I always knelt and prayed before it’s delivery to the people.
Do not expect to see the results of your service to God, although you might be so rewarded sometimes, when you can thank God for what He has done.
I was greatly encouraged one Sunday when I was about to take my last service before moving away from the district in Wales. The Church Secretary said “We are going to greatly miss your ministry when your have gone”. I replied that I doubted this and that by the following Sunday no one would even remember what I had preached about. She proceeded to quote to me three sermons that I had preached which had made a great impression on her, one a year ago. All I could say to her was Thank God for this, it was not me that did it.
Your life should be one of fulfilling God’s purpose in creating you, You have the talents He has given you. Don’t belittle them, pray for help to develop them and use them.
Encourager … Gerald Gossage