Just Do It
Today’s Reading 1 Chronicles 24 – 28
And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD. (1Chronicles 28:20)
Chapter 28 of 1 Chronicles is one of my favorite passages in the entire Bible. In it we see the passing of the baton from David to his son Solomon. David is giving the charge to his son regarding both the ruling of the kingdom and the building of the temple. David encourages Solomon by assuring him that he has everything he needs to fulfill the will of God for his life: he has the blueprints; he has all of the materials; he has all of the craftsmen and labourers; he has all of the ministers needed; he has divine wisdom and protection; he has it all. The only person that could stop Solomon from doing what God had called him to do was Solomon. He was literally invincible until God was finished with him.
I get excited whenever I read this passage because I too know what God has called me to do; and as long as I stay in the will of God, and keep moving forward, I cannot lose. God has promised to give me everything I need; he has promised me protection; and he has given me the greatest source of wisdom, His Word. The only person that can defeat me is me! I must keep moving forward, even though the path may seem very dark and dangerous at times. He will safely guide me through if I simply keep going.
How about you? What has God called you to do? Have you fulfilled the will of God for your life, or have you quit? Have you been convinced to leave the game because of the attacks of the wicked one. Get up; dust yourself off; and finish what God has called you to do. God has never promised an easy journey; but He does promise to carry you safely home if you will simply keep trusting Him and keep moving forward.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
No. I am not doing what God has given me to do for my life. But I do believe the detour I’m taking is from Him as well. My health is bad and I cannot be faithful to my “job” right now. It is a constant source of frustration for me and I often feel that someone else would be better suited to do my job. Like David, who wanted to build the temple but couldn’t, I do what I can to help others do what I can’t. I believe the Lord blesses this because He has kept me safe through many perilous situations.
I think most of us feel like giving up many times. Melissa do you realize that you do more with what God has given you and in your condition then most people do who have their health? I think most everyones problem , including my own, is that we are to lazy to use what God has given us. God did’nt call me to be a pastors wife but he did call my husband to be a pastor. Do you know how many times I wish my husband would just quit being a pastor because I don’t feel qualified to be a pastors wife? Well i know that is not what the Lord wants so instead of me wanting to hang it all up I need to realize that there might be something ,even one thing that I have to offer to be a help to someone. Yes the only one who can defeat self ,is self.
Very convicting message Pastor. I know I am no where near where God expects me to be. Because of negative life experiences I have squandered away what little joy God has given me. Oh there are glimpses of the light and moments of clarity but most of my daily walk is clouded by everything other than God. Although when I focus on other people’s comments on here things are somewhat easier to bear. Melissa – I have always admired your strength, your smile and your willingness to always be in the mix no matter what ails you. Cindy – Your devotion, courage and the sacrifices you make daily to support your husband has made him not just our Pastor but our gift. Because of your Help with him (and we all know he needs help) I believe that not just me but the entire church has benefitted from his unfailing, untiring, unending service to God and all the many different needs of the people of this church. The point is we are all in this together, we all need each other and we all have something to give to God!!!
Thank you Gary for sharing your thoughts your last point is what makes us different from the rest of the world and that is truly what this life is all about! We do not walk alone for we are members one of another in the body of christ and as members of Jersey Shore Baptist Church. We are yoked together! we are a family.We share in each others joys as well as each others failures.When someone falls we reach out and lift them up, when someone is hurting we hurt too, when someone is getting the victory we cheer them on! We are able to do all this because of God’s amazing grace!So looking unto Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith may we continue to pray for and encourage each other to keep serving the Lord no matter what!