Tag: SpiritualGifts

April 28, 2025 Devotional Post a Comment

Using the Right Tools God Has for Us

Opening Verse

“If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.”
(Ecclesiastes 10:10, KJV)

Introduction

God has given us the exact tools we need to live for Him. But when we try to do His work our own way, it’s like trying to cut wood with a pickaxe — frustrating and ineffective. We need to use the gifts and wisdom God provides.

Devotional Story

There was a man who once set out to build a simple cabin in the woods. He brought along a heavy pickaxe, thinking he could use it for everything. He hacked at the trees, but the results were poor and slow. His arms grew tired, and the trees remained standing.

One day, an old carpenter walked by and handed him a sharp axe. “You need the right tool,” he said. With a few clean swings of the axe, the trees fell easily.

The man realized something important: strength alone wasn’t enough — he needed the right tool. In the same way, God has equipped each believer with spiritual gifts, wisdom, and His Word. We cannot build His kingdom using the wrong tools or human strength. We need to use what God gives, in the way He instructs.

What This Means

God has not left us to figure out life on our own. He has given us His Spirit, His Word, and the specific gifts we need. When we rely on our own wisdom or ways, we labor harder and accomplish less. When we use what He has given — and follow His lead — the work becomes fruitful and filled with His power.

Think About This

Are you swinging a pickaxe where God has given you an axe? Are you striving in your own strength instead of leaning on the tools God has placed in your hands?

Prayer

Lord, teach me to stop relying on my own ways. Open my eyes to the tools and gifts You have given me. Help me to use Your Word, Your Spirit, and Your wisdom as I walk through each day. I surrender my methods and take up Your ways, trusting that Your way is always best. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Closing Verse

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”
(Zechariah 4:6, KJV)

March 22, 2025 Devotional Post a Comment

From Hiding to Holding the Line

Opening Verse

“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
— 2 Timothy 2:3 (KJV)

Introduction

When God lifts you from the shadows and places you at the front lines, it isn’t a promotion in the eyes of man — it’s an assignment from heaven. You were once hidden, protected, refined. Now, you’re positioned to protect, to speak, and to act while others freeze in fear.

Devotional Story

Yusef never asked to be noticed. He preferred staying behind the scenes, helping where needed, rarely drawing attention to himself. But everything shifted the day the tornado came.

The sirens screamed. People scattered. Debris whipped through the air. While others dove for shelter, Yusef stood still. Not because he felt brave — but because the Holy Spirit told him, “Look again.”

Through the chaos, he saw a child standing alone in the open. Frozen. Terrified. While others kept running, Yusef stepped forward. He didn’t yell. He didn’t panic. He walked straight to the child, covered them with his coat, and whispered, “I’ve got you.” Shielding them with his own body, he led them to a safe spot under a collapsed awning just seconds before another gust ripped through the street.

Later, Yusef realized the child was more than just a life needing rescue — it was a picture of something God had long ago entrusted to him. A spiritual gift. A calling. Waiting to be picked back up and carried forward.

That day, Yusef didn’t just survive a tornado. He stepped into his assignment.

What This Means

When others are gripped by fear and frozen in place, God sends those who have been tested — not in comfort, but in chaos. Yusef’s story isn’t just about bravery; it’s about obedience, discernment, and stepping into the role of protector.

You may be the one God is calling to step in while others step back. That “child” might be someone you’re called to intercede for — or it might be your purpose, waiting to be held again. Either way, this is your moment.

Think About This

  • Are you waiting for someone else to act when God is calling you?
  • Has your gift been buried under fear, doubt, or distraction?
  • Who or what is the “child” in your life that you’re meant to protect or restore?

Prayer

Lord, I thank You for keeping me through every storm. Just like Yusef, I want to respond when You call. Give me eyes to see who or what needs rescuing. Let me be bold, not frozen. Help me to protect what You’ve placed in me and around me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Closing Verse

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
— Deuteronomy 31:6 (KJV)