Devotional 031210

Dear brothers and sisters,
Good morning. Thank God for another day of opportunity to be in Hi service. Every day is a new challenge in applying God’s words in our lives. Every day is a new lesson of faith. Every day is a new scenario to experience God in an intimate manner. God is a “make-over” artist. He is constantly breaking down our old rugged house and building a new godly dwelling. Allow Him to do the good work that He has started in you until He brings to completion in the days of Christ.

Is highly significant and not sufficiently remarked that this David story, the story that provides more plot and detail, more characters and landscape than any other in scripture to show us how to live entirely before and in response to God, features an ordinary person. David was, in our dismissive and condescending terminology, “just” a lay person. His father omitted to present him to Samuel—it probably didn’t even occur to him. To his brothers he was a nonentity. Worse, as we learn from examining his genealogy family tree, he had bad blood in his family tree, hated and despised Moabite blood.

The choice of David, the runt and the shepherd, to be the anointed, to be a sign and representative of God’s working presence in human life and history, is surely intended to convey a sense of inclusion to all ordinary men and women, the plain folk, the undistinguished in the eyes of their neighbors, those lacking social status and peer recognition. Which is to say, the overwhelming majority of all who have lived on this old planet earth. Election into God’s purposes is not by popular vote. Election into God’s purposes is not based on proven ability or potential promise.. . .

So it is of considerable moment to realize that the centerfold account in scripture of a human being living by faith comes in the shape of a lay person. David was not ordained to the priesthood. He was not called, as we say, “to the ministry.” He was “just” a lay person, haqqaton. But there is not a hint in the narrative that his status is evidence of inadequacy. This is humanity burgeoning and vital. Bold and extravagant, skillful and inventive in love and prayer and work.

Work is our Spirit-anointed participation in God’s work. When Jesus stood up in the Nazareth synagogue to announce that he was going to work and how he was going to go about it, he said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me…” (Luke 4:18).

In our biblical texts anointing means being given a job by God. It means employment. We are, in effect, told that there is a job to be done and that we are assigned to do it, and that we can do it. Anointing connects our work with God’s work. Anointing is the sacramental connection linking God’s work with our work. God is a worker, a maker. God does things. He is, of course; but he also acts. And it is in His acts that we know who He is. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12).

Our Father in heaven is a working god. He never slumber and laid around doing nothing. Our God is always at work in His universe and in our midst. But He is not a workaholic – find his identity and self-worth from his work. He rests in His own Sabbath. He continues to guide His children and work in His church. We may not be aware of His work among us when we are too pre-occupied by our own busyness. He works and He wants to work alongside with us. The Holy Spirit came when Jesus went to the Father. He dwells within and among us, so that we can even do greater things through His Spirit. Dear Holy Spirit, use us to achieve your plan today!

In His loving presence,
Lawrence