HE HAS ENTRUSTED YOU

Fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, I encourage you to continue using or moving in the gifts, talents and skills God has blessed you with now. God has told me through a recent message from the pulpit to trust Him with what He has gifted me with at this time in my life. Whether I think my contribution small, not significant enough or just-getting-by, the Lord has said in His word to me  “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much," (Luke 16:10). Be patient and faithful in your ministry.

Many times I have gotten caught-up in the fascination of another ministry, another part of the Body of Christ. I would observe the wonders of the healing ministry or prophetic ministry and pray, "Lord, will you grant me those avenues of service also?" So, far the Lord has answered in part. He has used me in both praying for healing and seeing it come about. At other times, He has given me a prophetic word for believers. However, the Lord has not granted me those ministries as a full-time ministry. I operate in another vein. So how can the hand of a body also be the elbow of the body at the same time? It cannot.

When feeding the 5,000 plus people, Jesus told His disciples, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." (Matt. 14:16) Twelve men had food for a stadium full of people?  Riiight! The lesson of the Loaves and Fishes was two-fold....

1. Observe what you have been blessed with (fishes and loaves for the disciples in this case)
2. Observe Who is with you to bless you, your efforts and "the fishes and loaves" - Jesus. His Holy Spirit for believers today.

The disciples still did not learn this lesson. It took a mandate, a means and yet another menace to get the point across. Jesus commanded they go across the lake - the mandate. Jesus ushered them to the boat - the means. Jesus came walking to them on the water in the middle of the menacing storm. Jesus was walking on the water and about to pass them when they saw Him and cried out in fear. After Jesus calmed their fears, He stepped onto the boat with them and Scripture says, "...the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened." (Mark 6:51-52). 

The disciples had still not understood that Jesus was in control. The Son of God had an awesome plan for their lives.

1. They needed to trust in what God had given them - the boat and the charge to Go.
2. The difference maker - Who gave the mandate, Who supplied the means and Who provided deliverance from the storm - Jesus!

The challenge is keeping focus of the gifts, talents and skills the Lord has entrusted to us. I am sure without a shadow of a doubt that the Lord will develop additional skills as He sees fit in all of us. However, until that time and skill is revealed, I encourage us to trust God with what He Has Entrusted You.