Strange choice

A Strange Choice

Psalm 135:4
"For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure."

Is it not strange that the LORD chose to use Jacob? When you look at Jacob's life, you would wonder why God would use such a character. Jacob lived a deceitful life. He deceived his brother and stole the birthright. He deceived his father by acting like Esau and getting the family's blessing. He deceived his father-in-law when it came to the cattle that were born. The fact is, Jacob was not someone whom you could trust. He was a man whose whole life was filled with deceit. Yet, the LORD chose "...Jacob unto himself,..."

This should encourage everyone who reads this that God can use you also. You must understand that you don't have to be perfect for God to use you. I know, the Devil whispers in your ear that you could never do anything for God, but you must realize he is doing this to discourage you from surrendering to God. The Devil knows that God will get the glory if He chooses to use you. Face it, most of the people in the Scriptures are of questionable character. David put out a contract to have a man killed. Moses killed someone with his own hands. Paul was a mass murderer before he got saved. Abraham had an affair with a woman that resulted in an illegitimate child being born. Peter had problems with a cursing tongue. Rahab had a very bad background. On and on we could go and see how God chose to use people of ill backgrounds. If God can use people like this, then certainly He could choose to use you if you would let him.

God does not choose to use people because of who they are, but He chooses to use people because of Who He is. You must understand this, God looks at His character and not your character. He knows what He can do with people whose backgrounds are not the greatest. He knows this His character can cover your character. In fact, God is simply trying to change the perception of who you are. You must stop thinking that God cannot use you because of who you are. You must realize that He chooses to use you because of Who He is.

Furthermore, God does not choose to use people because of what they have done, but He chooses to use people because of what He can do. Yes, your past may be filled with many bad things, but God looks at His record of how He has done many things with other people who have a less than desirable background. God knows that He can use you, for He has used far less desirable people than you in the past.

Christian, let me encourage you that God can use you if you will allow Him to do so. Don't let the Devil keep you on the sidelines with his lies that you are too bad for God to use. Remember that there is not a person alive who hasn't done something that they shouldn't have done. God can use you if you will allow Him. Yes, you may be a strange choice in your eyes, but in God's eyes you are the right choice. Trust God's choice, and do your best with what He asks you to do. You will find that God has a great future planned for you if you will surrender your will to His. God can use you in His work if you will get in His work and start trying to help others whom He also could use.

Opening

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Opening the Windows of Heaven

2 Kings 7:2

"Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof."

When the Scriptures talk about the windows of Heaven, they are talking about God pouring out His blessings. Samaria had been shut up for many days, and because of this they were not able to get any supplies to the city. Elisha predicted that on the next day they would have all the supplies that they needed. However, the servant to the king said, "Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be?" This servant's lack of faith caused him not to see God open those windows and pour out His blessings upon Samaria.

Let me ask you, would you like it if God would open the windows of Heaven and pour out His blessings upon your life? Throughout the Scriptures we find that God promises to open those windows if we do certain things. Let me show you four things you must do to open the windows of Heaven. Let me make this clear, God leaves the opening of the windows of Heaven up to you. If you will do what He says to do, then He promises to pour out His blessings.

First, paying your tithes will open the windows of Heaven. Malachi 3:10 says, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." This promise is very clear. If a person will pay ten percent of their income to God, then He will bless them abundantly in return. God blesses those who pay their tithes. You may not think you can afford to do so, but God promises He will repay you above what you give to Him.

Second, praying opens the windows of Heaven. God said in Luke 11:9, that if we will ask, then He will give. This is an open check to every believer. One of the greatest reasons we don't get things from God is because we don't ask. Christian, you need to daily spend time in prayer. You must spend time asking Him for your needs, for He promises that if you will ask that He will give.

Third, obeying God's commandments opens the windows of Heaven. Deuteronomy 28:2 shows us that if we will obey God's commandments, that He will bless us abundantly. Obedience always has its benefits, and one of those benefits is that God will bless you above measure for doing what He commands you to do.

Last, seeking God first will open the windows of Heaven. If you will seek God first, Matthew 6:33 promises, "...all these things shall be added unto you." Where you place God in the priorities of your life will determine whether or not He will open the windows of Heaven.

One thing you must understand about these promises, you cannot pick and choose which one you want to do to open the windows of Heaven. All of these promises must be followed to open Heaven's windows. I challenge you to follow these four areas to see if God comes through with blessings. I believe you will find that His blessings will far out shadow the difficulties it takes to do these things. God desires to open the windows of Heaven for your life, it is simply up to you to do what God tells you to do to get them opened.

Looking

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Looking for a Man of God?

2 Kings 3:11

"But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah."

Jehoshaphat seemed to have the same problem that many Christians have today, and that is the only time he wanted a man of God in his life was when he had a difficulty that needed to be solved. Jehoshaphat said in the verse above, "Is there not here a prophet of the LORD,..." This statement came after Jehoshaphat had joined the king of Israel in a joint mission to fight the king of Moab. Before they went to war, Jehoshaphat asked for a man of God to give them guidance. The sad part about this story is that Jehoshaphat only wanted the man of God's advice when it was convenient or needed.

Every person needs a man of God in their life. The man of God should not be an emergency number that you only call in times of need. Yes, they will come and help you if that is the only time you call them, but they are there to help you succeed in your Christian life. I fear many people fail in their Christian life because they avoid the man of God who God has placed in their life to help them mature and excel in their walk with God. With this in mind, let me give you some thoughts concerning you and your man of God.

First, let the man of God be a man of God in your life. What I mean by this statement is that he should not be treated like everyone else. Treat him with dignity and respect by addressing him properly. Though some think this is ridiculous, you need to keep a mystique and honor with the position that the man of God holds. If you will address him properly, then you will keep his position as a revered position in your mind.

Second, pray that your man of God guides you properly. People often complain that their man of God does not help them, but I wonder how often they pray that God gives him wisdom to guide them. Yes, the man of God should have personally asked for God's guidance, but you would be wise to ask God to help your man of God help you. I have found that when I pray this way that God helps me to ask questions in the right way that will spur the man of God to give me the answers that I need.

Third, don't just let your man of God be a convenient crutch whom you run to when you need help. If you have problems, certainly you should go and ask for his help, but let your man of God help you all the time. Don't be like Jehoshaphat who only looked for him when it was convenient.

Last, be an encouragement to your man of God. Regularly say words of encouragement to him to show your appreciation. Look for needs that he may have that God can use you to fill. Find something that he likes, and every once in awhile give it to him as a gift of appreciation. Be kind to his family as this will be an encouragement to him as well.

God has given you a man of God to be a help to you. Don't let his availability be taken for granted, but realize that God gave him to you to help you become the best Christian that you could become. Don't just look for a man of God in times of need, but look for a man of God in all stages of your life.

Working

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Working for the Unsaved

1 Kings 18:3

"And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:"

One thing most people cannot get out of is working for people who are unsaved. For most, working with the unsaved is difficult because of the atmosphere in which they must work. Obadiah could certainly understand the difficulties of working with the unsaved. Obadiah's boss was Ahab. According to the Scriptures, no king worked more wickedness than Ahab. Yet, in God's commentary about Obadiah He said, "Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:..." Though Obadiah worked for an evil man, he still kept his walk with the LORD in tact. His testimony was the key to getting God's attention. Let me show you a few ways to keep your testimony as you work for the unsaved.

First, be dependable. Obadiah must have been a dependable man for Ahab to give him a job that only he and Ahab could do. When working for the unsaved, you must do your best to be dependable. Be dependable by being at work every day. Though you may not always feel like going to work, you should be sure to be there unless your health would be harmed or others would be harmed by you being there. Just because you have sick days to use does not give you the right to take off. Being at your place of work day in and day out will help your unsaved boss to depend on you.

Second, be trustworthy. Ahab had to trust Obadiah in order to give him a position of governor. You won't give somebody a high position who is not trustworthy. You need to be sure to be a trustworthy person on the job. Be careful not to steal minutes from your boss. What I mean by this statement is you should not take extra minutes during your break time. If your boss gives you a ten minute break, then only take ten minutes. Likewise, don't take materials from the job site without first asking your boss. Taking for granted that it will be fine to take materials is nothing more than stealing. It does not matter that everyone else may do it, be trustworthy and ask before you take materials.

Third, work hard. When Obadiah was given the job of finding grass for the cattle, he immediately went and started searching. The best way to build a testimony with an unsaved boss is to be the hardest worker where you work. Though we are not in competition with the unsaved, there should never be an unsaved person who works harder than a saved person. You represent Christ on the job, and He would want you to be a hard worker.

Fourth, don't participate in the ungodly practices of those with whom you work. When Jezebel killed the prophets of God, Obadiah did right and hid as many prophets as he could. Often in the workplace there are sinful things that take place. Be sure that you don't participate in these practices. If they go and party; don't go to the parties. Your testimony is more important than trying to appease their criticisms of you.

Most Christians will have to work for the unsaved. One of the best ways to win them to Christ is to build a testimony of being the best employee in the workplace. When you keep your Christian testimony by doing right and working hard, then they will turn to you when they need someone to help them.

Success


The Key to Punishment's Success

1 Kings 11:39

"And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever."

Punishment will either drive you further away from right or closer to that which you ought to be doing. The key to whether punishment succeeds or fails is found in the verse above. Because Solomon sinned against God, judgment had been pronounced against the seed of David. However, though God was going to punish his seed, He said that He would not punish it "for ever." God was wisely giving hope to the seed of David that punishment would not last forever in the hope of letting punishment bring them back to Him.

When authority punishes wrong, they must be careful with the administration of punishment. If they leave no hope when the punishment is administered, then they will drive the one who is receiving the punishment away from right. Leaving someone with dignity and hope during the punishment is the key to punishment's success.

When administering punishment, always give hope that the punishment will end. When there is no hope that punishment will end, then there is no reason for the one being punished to do right. This is why you must be careful about holding the past against someone who has done wrong. Punishment must end at some point if you want the one being punished to do right.

Moreover, be sure to give hope that restoration is possible. Here is an important key to someone getting right. Though someone may get punished for doing wrong, if they know that there is hope for them to be completely restored, then they will take the punishment correctly. You will often see people who rebel against punishment because they don't believe that they have any hope of being restored. Yes, there are consequences to sin, but there must be hope that restoration is possible.

Furthermore, when administering punishment, give hope that one can be used again. Restoration is important, but having a hope that they can be useful after the punishment will seal that hope in their heart. You will notice that God always left the door open for people to be used again after punishment. The Scriptures are filled with people who were used again after they were punished, and we should follow that example and do the same.

Finally, be sure to give hope that the relationship is not severed. You must make it very clear that your love for the one being punished is not on trial. Be sure they understand that you love them, not for what they do, but for who they are. When the one receiving the punishment knows that you love them unconditionally, then they will be willing to allow you to help them through the restoration process.

Whatever you do, don't remove hope when administering punishment. When hope is removed then you will institutionalize a person. What I mean by this is that they will feel they might as well continue to do wrong for their is no hope. The key to punishment's success is leaving hope during the punishment. When you leave them with hope, then you will leave them with their dignity and a desire to do right.

Leaders

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Great Leaders Have This Characteristic

1 Samuel 18:4

"And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands."

Leaders are a dime a dozen, but great leaders are hard to find. David was certainly a great leader whose life and leadership skills should be studied. I fear too often we study the leadership skills of the heathen and try to copy their characteristics in the Christian world. However, following godly leadership characteristics will allow you to help those whom you lead in a greater way.

One of the great characteristics of David's leadership was that he was not afraid to listen to the people. The verse above shows that David listened to and followed the advice of the people concerning the war with Absalom. David was ready to go to war with the people against Absalom, but the people asked David to stay back and let them fight this war for the LORD. David was secure enough in the skin of his leadership that he was not intimidated by following his follower's advice.

Great leaders will learn to listen to their followers. Listening to those whom you lead is not a sign of weakness, on the contrary it is actually a sign of strength. There are many leaders who never listen to those whom they lead to their own detriment. If leaders would listen to their followers, they would find that their followers would be more apt to listen to and follow their leadership. However, when leaders never listen to their followers, then eventually the followers will stop listening to their leaders.

One sign of weak leadership is a leader who thinks they know everything. Let me make this clear, no leader knows everything. The leader who thinks they know everything is a leader who is insecure. The leader who thinks he knows everything is the leader who is filled with pride. Leaders must realize that those who follow them have wisdom that could help them. If you think you know everything and will never listen to your followers, then you will end up hurting your ability to lead. Nobody wants to follow a know-it-all.

Most followers want success as much as their leader. For some reason there are some leaders who think that their followers don't want as much success as they do. This simply is not true! Most church members want their church to succeed. Most employees want their company to succeed. Most citizens want their country to succeed. Most family members want their family to succeed. Yes, there are some followers who would delight in the failure of their organization, but those followers are few and far between. The followers who are loyal to leadership want success as much as the leader does. This is why leadership would be wise to listen to those whom they lead.

In whatever area you lead, learn to listen to those you are leading. Realize that they have good ideas and wisdom that could help you to lead them in a better way. As a bonus, if you will listen to them and follow their ideas when appropriate, then you will further win their heart, allowing you to do greater things. Great leaders are great listeners, and great leaders will listen to those whom they lead. They may not always do what their followers want, but they will listen and give serious consideration to the suggestions of their followers.