TODAY IS…

a super day to think again.

“But you thought your fame and beauty were your own. So you gave yourself as a prostitute to every man who came along. Your beauty was theirs for the asking.”  Ezekiel 16:15 NLT

We are all aware that God bestows different gifts, talents, and abilities upon different individuals. For the myriad ways in which humans differ from one another, we all share the fact that whatever talents we have, they all came from God. And this is true no matter whether we choose to believe it or not.

Ezekiel’s message to the exiles in Babylon was relatively simple and is one we should all heed. If we have forgotten the source of all that is ours and have come to think that our achievements are the result of our own human abilities, we had better think about it again.

Our artistic abilities that have earned us prominence and have made our work popular; our astute business acumen which allows us to capitalize on opportunities that others cannot see; our ability to throw a football farther or run faster than anyone else: all of these gifts, talents, and abilities were given to us by God and are to be used, first and foremost, for God. The rewards realized from these talents should be used to help others and spread God’s message.

Of course God wants us to enjoy the fruits of our labor as well, and He has nothing against us having nice homes, cars, clothes, or other material possessions. But He expects us to use the gifts He has given us to assist those less fortunate than we are, and in return, He will reward us with even more good fortunes.

“After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before.” (Job 42:10 NIV).

God wants our love, our trust, our faith, and our recognition that all we have comes from Him.

Are there selfish, self-centered, boastful people who deny credit that is due the Lord and keep it for themselves? Absolutely. Do many of them surround themselves with incredible wealth and luxury and claim it as their own and not God’s? Of course.

But for them, when they die, that is where it all ends. For those who praise God for all they are and all they have, God will multiply their blessings in this life, and it does not end with death.

If you think you are successful just because you are special, perhaps you need to think again.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson