You are not a computer, remember to rest
Genesis 33:14 So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”
Jacob was sensitive to the possibility of driving his flocks and children too hard. A present-day application is [...]
Be faithful first, then trust
Ezekiel 33:7 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that [...]
The Lord's approval, often the only reward for our work
A church secretary recently shared with me that she had spent great effort redoing her church bulletin. It looked fantastic. It was much easier to read, her choices in typography and layout were clear and professional looking. But, she said, almost nobody noticed or commented on the changes.
Our publications reflect what is in our heart
The quality of the ministry communications we produce never ultimately depends on circumstances outside ourselves. It’s easy to blame tight deadlines, inadequate equipment, and the difficult people we work with for doing less than our best, but ultimately the quality of our ministry communication reflects our hearts.
Real 24/7 support
Many companies today promise support 24/7, but that “support” often consists of a series of pushing buttons, only to be put on hold for what seems 24/7. In contrast, this devotion shows how when we ask our Lord for help, his response is real and immediate, 24/7.
“Call to me and I will answer you.” (Jer. 33:3)
Many computer and software companies promise support 24/7. It sounds good, but in reality that “support” is often an endless series of automatic messages, referrals to canned answers, or a suggestion to go to the web site and there for you to try to figure out the answer. In response you can either keep pushing buttons in frustration, or give up knowing it is almost impossible to talk to a real human being.
In contrast, God’s promise of support is personal, immediate, and unconditional. If we call, he answers.
We can call out to him for wisdom. When our work in church communications seems overwhelming and we don’t know what to do next, we need wisdom. James 1:5 promises when we ask for wisdom, he will give it to us. Often, we have the skills to do the tasks we need to do, we just can’t figure out the order or the process. God can give us that wisdom to put the process in order to successfully complete our projects.
We can call out to him for encouragement. We need it when working with computers. Computers never tire; a computer can work around the clock. People aren’t like that, but an odd thing has happened in offices since the advent of the computer. In subtle ways we tend to compare ourselves to the computer. We think we need to be a machine who never wears down or quits or gets discouraged. Sometimes the Lord is the only one who can lift your spirit in an office that, perhaps unconsciously, views people as machines.
We can call out to him for perseverance. Sometimes we think we simply can’t learn a new program or figure out one more project. Yet, if we just stay with it an hour or a day longer (praying at the same time for insight and strength) suddenly things become clear.
Train yourself to always call out to God first. So often we ask him for help as a last resort. He is merciful and kind and answers no matter when we remember to ask him, but we could save ourselves a lot of frustration by asking for his help first.
We can call out to him-sometimes not for anything specific at all. Some days it seems like nobody on earth pays attention or cares. That may or may not be true, but no matter. Call out to your God. He cares about you and is ready to listen and help with every concern you have, 24/7.
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If you would like to listen to an audio file/podcast of this devotion, click here.
This devotion is from the heart of church communications, by Yvon Prehn,to download or purchase a copy, go to: www.lulu.com/yvonprehn
Sugar water or sand, how to really change the world
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But [...]
You are accepted and loved before you create your communications
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:16)
Jesus [...]
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