Daily Devotional

God has uniquely fashioned each of us to serve and live for Him.  We all have different personalities, abilities, and spiritual giftedness.  When God combines these things together, we all have special ways of serving the Lord that He wants us to use for the furthering of His kingdom.  Even though we may have the same spiritual gift as someone else, we will still serve God in unique ways.  That is because of our personality and the amazing way God has put each of us together.

Along with this, God is the One who puts within us the desire to serve Him. Paul tells us this in the letter to the Philippians:  “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."  (Philippians 2:13 NASB 1995)

The word the Apostle Paul uses for “will” expresses a wish, will or desire. Those tugs at our heart, the interest we have, or that longing to serve in some capacity of spiritual ministry is ultimately placed in our life by God Himself.  He will lead us to serve in the very things He has equipped us to do.

Paul told the Philippians that God worked in them so that they could do His good pleasure and accomplish His good purpose. Both divine enablement and human responsibility are involved in getting God’s work done. We are partners with God, laboring together with Him.

God also makes us both willing and desirous to do His work.  He literalling “energizes” or “provides enablement” for us to serve Him.  God provides the strength and the ability to do the good works. We do not muster up the strength in ourselves. That is why the spiritual abilities that God gives us are called “grace gifts.” They are given to us by grace and through grace God provides the strength to do them. Notice all the glory then goes to God and not to the vessel.

Paul again reinforces this truth in his letter to the Corinthians:  “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.” (2 Corinthians 4:7 NASB 1995)

We are the vessels the Lord chooses to use.  God has joy in giving us the ability to serve Him, that the glory might ultimately belong to Him.  But in the process He rewards us for serving Him, again all of grace.

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for how you have made me to serve You.  Help me to see the opportunities You give me to serve.  Thank you for the desire and strength to do these things for your glory.  Amen

New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation