1 Timothy 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
I’ve been flying high for some time now. I’ve maintained flight by mid-air refueling. The oil for the lamp is like that. It is good to be “in flight”. The sights are wonderful, the places you can go endless.
But I am more than the gift given. The craft needs more than fuel to fly. At some point what is known as flight fatigue sets in and the aircraft needs to be grounded for a time. Ground maintenance is needed.
I have concerns about what will appear in this blog when I need to perform ground maintenance. It is likely that my words will lack the elevation it had a few days ago. It isn’t as though I could bring in another writer, speaker, teacher to fill in while “on vacation”. I am not a church. This is not a sermon.
This is a devotional and as such can only reflect a level of devotion I have to give. Well, I am here and this is what I have. Perhaps you can relate to that. Sometimes we have to show our humanity so that when Christ appears, we can see Him for who He is and not the man with a gift.
Colossians 2:18-19 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
I tell you my condition because I do not want to be seen as one vainly puffed up. I may not add anything to you today. I not the source of increase, God is. You have other sources of nourishment. God willing I will be back in flight soon.
God bless you.
You added a lot to me today. Your key word to me was nourishment in Colossians 2 :18&19. In Mark’s Gospel, I see Jesus as the PERFECT SERVANT and in chapter 1 verse 11 the proclamation from Heaven “You are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” then in verse 12 “immediately the Spirit drives Him into the wilderness” and then in verse 13 ” He was in the wilderness 40 days tempted of Satan, and with the wild beasts, and ANGELS ministered unto Him.” You and I both know that the servant is not above his Lord, so from what I see you are right in line with your Lord. Our Lord also said to His disciples in Mark 6 after a full time of ministry, “come with Me into a desert place and rest awhile” verse 31. I am thankful that your devotion was entitled “NEGLECT” and not “EMPTY”, because you still had something to feed us with. Our Lord will not allow your cup to be “empty”, but will maybe use even “angels” to help fill it up. We love you and your ministry and I pray daily for you and this blog.
Thanks Ron. Good words.
As for the cup being half full Vs. half empty… my take is it is never empty. that part which is not wine or water is air. Like the spirit it might not be visible, but it exists none the less.
Often times ground maintenance (as you put it) is necessary. Consider Ezekiel 37 the next time you are in your “valley”. This will always be a time when God will work in your heart. In the end, as verse 28 declares, “Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.’”
After you’ve been recharged, Larry, SHOUT IT from the housetops!
Thanks Ern.
Without maintenance there would be no flight.