HE'S PRESENT IN YOUR CAVE

"When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who knows my way"
Psalm 142:3

Caves are horrible and cold. Damp. Fit for bears and other animals that can withstand the loneliness. David came to a place in his life where he ended up in a cave. David the Giant Killer. David, God's anointed. David the killer of bears and lions. Of whom was said "Saul has slain his thousands, but David his ten thousands". One day he's anointed by Samuel to be king. One day he's invited to play for the present king and to live in the palace. The next he's running for his life.

Yet it is during the "cave experiences" of our lives, during those dark and damp moments when it seems that all hope is lost, that God comes in with strength and power. When we grow weary spiritually, it isn't our friends that will help us back on our way, although we are certainly to rely on one another for strength and comfort. It is not our loved ones that will push us back into a deeper relationship with our Lord. It is God. He is the only One that truly knows the way back into the strength of that relationship.

Once David realized this, God was able to restore him during his cave experience. We know this because when we read the following in 1 Samuel 22 we find David in his cave along with "all those who were in distress or in debt or discontented". And he became their leader. Something wonderful happens when God enables you to grow throughout these experiences of your life: people around you notice. They can't explain how you made it through. They can't figure out how you maintained your composure and strength. The answer is found in one of David's other psalms:

"He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge" (Psalm 144:2).

May this be what shines through and into other people's lives...in the unfailing name of Jesus.

Ability vs Availability

His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love. - Psalm 147:10-11

Do you ever feel so skilled in what you do that you require little help from others? Perhaps you may feel that you are more skilled than any other in your field. Does God need your skills and abilities in order to accomplish His purposes on this earth? The answer is NO.

One thing God does not need is our skills and abilities. However, He does give us the privilege to exercise our gifts and abilities for His service. That service may be as a computer technician, a secretary, an ironworker, or even a lawyer. God calls each of us to our vocations to work unto Him. To believe that He needs our skills to accomplish His mission on earth would be to lower our understanding of an all-encompassing and all-powerful God. The psalmist tells us that His pleasure is not in our strength and ability, but His pleasure is in the attitude of the heart. It is what we find in the heart that helps determine whether ability is translated into availability. You see God is looking to and fro throughout the earth for a man or woman who is fully committed to Him. A man or woman who is committed to fearing the Lord and placing his hope in His unfailing love is the person God seeks to support. "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him" (2 Chron. 16:9a). When our agenda becomes His agenda, we can expect God to fully support all that we do.

If we want to see our skills and abilities multiplied a hundredfold, then we must make them completely available to His service. Where are the opportunities in which God is calling you to be available to Him? Next time someone asks you to be involved in some activity, before you say yea or nay, make sure you check in with the Master of our decisions to ensure that your gifts and talents are being used, as He desires.
by Os Hillman

Heaven's Grocery Store

As I was walking down life's highway many years ago
I came upon a sign that read Heavens Grocery Store.
When I got a little closer the doors swung open wide
And when I came to myself I was standing inside.
I saw a host of angels.They were standing everywhere
One handed me a basket and said "My child shop with care."


Everything a human needed was in that grocery store
And what you could not carry you could come back for more
First I got some Patience.
Love was in that same row.
Further down was Understanding,
you need that everywhere you go.
I got a box or two of Wisdom and Faith a bag or two.
And Charity of course I would need some of that too.


I couldn't miss the Holy Ghost
It was all over the place.
And then some Strength
and Courage to help me run this race.
My basket was getting full but I remembered I needed Grace,
And then I chose Salvation for Salvation was for free
I tried to get enough of that to do for you and me.

Then I started to the counter to pay my grocery bill,
For I thought I had everything to do the Masters will.
As I went up the aisle I saw Prayer and put that in,
For I knew when I stepped outside I would run into sin.
Peace and Joy were plentiful, the last things on the shelf.
Song and Praise were hanging near so I just helped myself.

Then I said to the angel "Now how much do I owe?"
He smiled and said "Just take them everywhere you go."
Again I asked "Really now, How much do I owe?"
"My child" he said, "God paid your bill a long long time ago."

This poem has been sent to you with love and for good luck.

Stay Awake

Early one morning in February of 1994, an experienced pilot named James Rich climbed into his small airplane with plans for a short flight to the next state. Little did he know of the near disaster awaiting him.

James hadn’t slept much the night before, and he was still tired as he sat behind the controls of his private plane. He was planning a 30-minute flight to visit a friend in East Tennessee. As he leveled off at 3500 feet, James decided to rest his eyes for a quick nap. He set the airplane on auto-pilot, closed his eyes, and fell asleep…

But he dozed for three hours! When suddenly he awoke, he frantically looked down and saw what appeared to be a lake. Then he realized two frightening things. First, he was over an ocean – with no land in sight. And second, his gas gauge was registering empty. As it happens, during his slumber he had flown out over the Gulf of Mexico, and was 85 miles from land and almost out of fuel! Although he crashed into the sea, James Rich was blessed – he was rescued and he survived his ordeal.

What a great reminder to us all to stay spiritually alert each day! It’s so tempting to put our spiritual lives on autopilot. Little prayer. Sporadic Bible Study. Casual about our relationship with God.

Have you been cruising on autopilot lately? Or are you focused each day on Jesus Christ, and on his will for your life? It might help if we stopped everything, thought about our spiritual lives, and asked ourselves in what ways you’ve stopped paying attention – or dozed off completely!