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Editor's note: Do you use a Devotional Bible? Devotional Bibles feature biblical devotions (often hundreds) throughout including Bible verses for meditation and reflective questions. Here is a devotion written by Anne Graham Lotz excerpted from the NIV Women's Devotional Bible. Enjoy!
Faithfully Available
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Read: John 14:1-31
What assignment has God given you? Would you ask Him? I know He has one in mind for you because He told us clearly, through the words of the apostle Paul, that
we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Don't dodge your assignment because it seems to lack any chance for success. Don't miss your assignment because it seems such an insignificant, small thing. The church in Europe was birthed when Paul spoke to a handful of women of a river bank. The size and scope of the assignment are up to Him, and the effectiveness and lasting impact of your service are also His responsibility. You and I are simply to be faithfully available... and obedient.
All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. — John 14:25-26
The assignments God has given me have taken me way beyond my comfort zone. While some of them have begun small and stayed small, others have begun small and grown larger, while still others were begun large and blossomed into major tasks.
There have been times when I have argued, resisted, procrastinated, and questioned, but in the end I always give in, because He is my Lord... I have "seen" Him... and I love Him. I don't serve Him because I have to. I serve Him because I want to do something for Him. And in the process of being obedient, I have come to know Him. He has made "known to me the path of life... [filled] me with joy in [His][His] right hand."
With eagerness and enthusiasm, I put my feet in motion. I want to serve Him all the days of my life. I want to stay awake to His glorious vision forever. I am now on a passionate pursuit for more of Jesus. I embrace the Cross that shatters the stranglehold of self and enlarges my capacity to receive more. I long...
- to gaze on His visible face,
- to hear His audible voice,
- to feel His unmistakable touch,
- to become an eyewitness of His glory.
In the meantime, I refuse to sleep one more minute. I'm awake... with eyes opened, heart rended, and knees bent while I whisper, "Yes... Yes, Lord!... Yes, Sir!" then raise my hand as I mote my feet. "I'm available for service. Send me. I'll go. I want to stay awake forever..."
Reflection
1. What assignment has God given you?
2. What is the first step of obedience you need to take in order to begin fulfilling that special assignment?
3. Whisper, "Yes... Yes, Lord!" and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you how to complete the assignment in a way that perfectly glorifies God and brings you to a greater knowledge of Him.
Related Readings
Excerpted with permission from the NIV Women's Devotional Bible, copyright Zondervan.
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Your Turn
Have you ever asked yourself What does God want me to do? What has God assigned me? Ask Him! Take time today and ask the Lord what it is that He has planned for you - today, tomorrow, and in the greater future. Ask yourself if you are ready and willing... faithfully available? Come share your thoughts with us. We want to hear from you.
RESOURCES
Everything to know about Bible Study
Ten Tips for Studying Your Bible
6 Facts You Need to Know When You Read the Bible
