Monday, July 17: 2Kings 6- Using gifts to serve.

Elisha is quite the miracle worker. The stories continue to compound regarding his miraculous exploits but none are for his personal benefit. In fact only the time he acted in his personal interest was way back at the beginning of his ministry when he called a curse on the young boys making fun of him. That sad exploit has never been repeated and from that time his miracles have been to help others.

This launched my devotional thought into contemplating God’s gifts given to people. In 1Corinthians 12 we are told that spiritual gifts are given for the ‘common good’. In other words, God gave them for the growth and care of believers, not simply for the enjoyment of the individual. Like Elisha, the gifts God gives are to help others and extend His glory, not one’s own.

I think by extension we can apply this principle to our natural gifts as well. Are we using them to help others as well? Obviously, natural gifts are also used to provide for our family and self.  However, do we horde them, thinking only of self or are we generous with the natural gifts God has given us, using them for others as well?

Elisha lived to serve God, which meant he needed to serve God’s people. Do I live as magnanimously as Elisha did? Do you?

Think about it…

Lord, so many of the saints in the Old and New Testaments lived for Your glory and the betterment of Your people… Elisha, Paul, Peter, Lydia, Timothy, Elijah, Samuel, Moses and Joshua to name a few. Help me, Lord, to follow their lead, to live for You and Your people, to advance knowledge of Your name and fame around the earth until the glory of Your name covers the earth as water covers the sea. I pray this in Jesus’ name and for the glory of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

 

 

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