Daily Reading: Acts 14
So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. (Acts 14.3)
Devotional Thought: In the days of colonial America there were a few coveted vocations. A lawyer was one; a military officer with a commission from the crown was another. Those positions opened doors of opportunity and brought deference in the community. I was surprised to read, however, that another coveted vocation was that of a clergyman. That position brought power and prestige equal to military and legal work. It also meant a good salary. Sadly, there were many preachers who were serving in that role for the perks and not because God had called them.
That made me ask myself, "Am I serving God for the perks?"
In Acts 14, we read that Paul and Barnabas continued on their missionary journey, a mission that had been birthed in passion: worship, prayer and fasting. As they ministered in Iconium, they encountered opposition, but according to verse 3, they courageously faced the opposition and invested the needed time to establish the ministry. As they did that, God was able to confirm the message by working miracles through them!
That’s really a pretty good formula, isn’t it? When we are serving out of passion, and when we invest the time and effort needed for the work, God is able to work miracles! When we exercise our faith, God honors our faith! Without the investment of time and without the exercise of faith, then we limit what God can do by taking the “tools” (us) out of his hands!
Are you anxious to have God do things in and through your life? Then, invest the needed time and effort into your goal and exercise a bold faith! God will honor that with signs and wonders!
Prayer: Lord, help me to be forgetful of the perks, serving you with a heart of passion. May my mission be birthed in prayer and worship. Help me to invest the time and effort that the call of God demands. Amen.
Psalm of the Day: Psalm 73:12-20
12 This is what the wicked are like— always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.
13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments.
15 If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.
19 How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!
20 They are like a dream when one awakes; when you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies.
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