Usefulness: November 27, 2013

TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 27, 2013.

USEFULNESS

DEFINITION:

Being of use or service or worthwhile; having a practical function, purpose

SCRIPTURE:

After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel. Judges 3:31.

So the Lord said to him, What is that in your hand? He said A rod.
Exodus 4:2

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

One week from next Saturday will be the anniversary of the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. We remember that day even though we were young children. It made an impact on people of all ages. Over the next days, months and years scores of heroic stories surfaced telling of things that the United States servicemen accomplished that day. Many stated that what they did was insignificant but at a time of need they became useful.

One of the stories was what Major Shapley did to save the life of Marine Corporal Nightingale. They were presumably the last two alive on the ARIZONA before it sunk. The Marine Corporal had done all he could to save the lives on the ship but no one survived. As he was preparing to jump into the water an explosion helped put him in the water. The Major was next to him and saw that he was not making it to shore. The Major grabbed the Corporal's shirt, and even though exhausted, pulled him to shore. The major saw the Corporal's need and made himself useful in a dire time of need.

All around us today people are perishing in a sea of despair and hopelessness. Like the Corporal they are drowning, not in a sea of water but in a sea of sin. They are in need of rescue. All of us who know the Lord have a God-given responsibility to do all we can to rescue the lost in this world. We have the responsibility to lead them to the Lord so He can do His work in and through them. It should be the desire of our heart to be useful in serving our Lord and Savior who gave His life for us.

Many people are saying today that they just do not have the talent or ability to be useful for the Lord. Conventional wisdom seems to question how much can be accomplished with little. We tend to believe that a lot can be done if we have large financial resources, talented man-power, and innovative ideas. These things just do not matter to God. What does matter to God is the attitude of our heart. Do we desire to serve the Lord and are we willing to let Him use us, no matter what the cost?

We read in Judges 3:31 (the verse above) about a relatively unknown man named "Shamgar" who delivered Israel from the Philistines, single-handedly, with nothing more than an ox goad. This is a stick sharpened on one end to drive slow-moving animals.

In Exodus, when God asked Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt, Moses was afraid the people would not listen to him or follow him. So God said in Exodus 4:2, "What is that in your hand." God knew what it was but needed to convince Moses that this was all he needed. Moses used the "rod" to turn the Nile River into blood, to bring plagues on Egypt, to part the Red Sea, and to perform all the miracles in the wilderness.

The rod of Moses and the ox goad of Shamgar, when dedicated to God, became mighty tools. God is able to use ordinary things to do extra ordinary things. None of us are too insignificant to be useful to God with whatever we have to give to Him. God is not looking for people with great abilities, even though He will use them, but for those who are dedicated to following and obeying Him.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalms 95:1.

O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord, let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.

PRAYER:

Help me to realize today that little is much when God is in it. May You use what little I have to do the things You want to accomplish through my life.