Listen to this great recording!
Eld. Clarence Huckleberry, instructor
RECORDING on Teaching Moments With ICEA: “The Shock of Suffering”
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IN TIMES LIKE THESE
An Excellent Spirit!
Daniel did a better job than the other two leaders or
any of the royal rulers. He was an unusually good and able man.
So the king planned to put him in charge of the whole kingdom.
(Daniel 6:3 NIRV)
The world is currently looking for and calling up top notch nurses, doctors, scientists, researchers, inventors, social forecasters, along with anyone who has expertise in fighting a disease that challenges our way of survival. On the other hand — God is calling for men and women in the body of Christ who have many abilities. Those who God calls (to use their abilities) are needing one prevailing ingredient, which is an excellent spirit!
Many who serve God also have their professions, careers, and jobs, and make up a lot of the world’s workforce. Others have the task of home and family responsibilities. Daniel was such a man, who daily took care of the affairs of a nation and — according to the king — he maintained and excellent spirit! His “secret” no doubt, was his love and devotion toward his God!
Another great leader was Esther. This writer has heard some negative comments about Esther: how she planned evil to catch Haman in a trap. This writer strongly opposes this viewpoint! God judges evil intentions and actions, and He certainly would have judged Esther had she done any wrong. This would have been woven in the story, but we don’t see any trace of this in the author’s writings. Queen Esther was a women of integrity who stood up against what was evil and base. She knew her life and the lives of her people were at stake as she went before the king. We see her integrity, her caring, and so many other qualities that made up an excellent spirit! She appeared to be a women of prayer and had long been taught integrity by the example of her uncle Mordecai. God gave Esther the plans to overthrow evil Haman. We never see one time where Esther used her beauty or authority as queen, to undermine anyone. She simply asked for an audience with the king and Haman. This was her way of “going to the law” (who was the king) to expose the evil intents of a very evil man. Jesus told us to be wise as a serpent. Esther was simply wise as the serpent, Haman. She did nothing outside the bounds of God’s spiritual law and did not violate any of His principles, but maintained her excellent spirit!
The bible is filled with shining examples of those who maintained excellent spirits, like Joseph, Ruth, Hannah, Mary, Nathanael, Dorcas, and others. Biblical history has taught us, it seems, that leaders who have had excellent spirits have come forth, to make a great difference, and keep the people alive in times of great trials!
While we work on our ministries, let us equally work on our spirits. It’s imperative that the two be one!
Finally, it’s important to note that an excellent spirit is a spirit that does not entertain unwholesome thoughts. We have the power to dismiss even thoughts that attempt to bombard our minds (Eph. 6:16)! During those times we may constantly quote the scripture: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding (Prov. 3:5).
Create in me a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit within me.
(Ps. 51:10)
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which
are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all,
and to the spirits of just men made perfect.
(Heb. 12:23)
And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find
such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
(Gen. 41:38)
My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior…he hath regarded
the low estate of his handmaiden…He hat put down the
mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
(Luke 1:47-56)
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever
things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and
if there be any praise, think on these things.
(Phil. 4:8)
Worried About Lost Donkeys and Stumbling on a Kingdom!
“Don’t worry about the donkeys you lost three days ago.
They’ve already been found. But who are all of the people
of Israel longing for? You and your father’s whole family!”
(I Samuel 9:20, NIV)
We all have misplaced and even lost things that we treasure. Everybody should be able to identify with the cycle and anxiety of mentally backtracking, trying to recall where we lasted placed something.
There are people in the Bible we can identify with, who have lost things, too. There was a character in the Old Testament whose name was Saul. He was from Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin. He seemed to be an average citizen who one day was sent on an assignment by his father to locate some of their donkeys who had ran away (I Sam. 9:1-27). The father was troubled by this lost (9:5). The family did a diligent search and Saul and his servant travelled to many areas, no doubt, spending days in the process. They came upon a prophet by the name of Samuel who had knowledge that the donkeys had been found. This must have taken a load off these two exhausted travelers! It’s is such a blessing when we find what we have lost!
While finding their donkeys seemed like a time for rejoicing, there is a greater blessing to this whole account in the book of I Samuel. The prophet further shared with Saul that God had called him to be king over all Israel! We see a perplexed man who was at a loss about a lowly animal, yet he was about to step into the greatest blessing he could not even have imagined!
It’s amazing how God can have some greater plan for a man or woman who, at present, is perplexed, and so unsure about loss. God has a way of showing us our future even when our present seems bleak. Saul’s mind was toward one of the lowest animals God had created and yet God’s mind was to give this man authority to oversee the kingdom of Israel! The scripture has declared that the people we read about in the Old Testament, such as Moses and David, in some unique way, are not complete without us (Heb. 11:39-40). It also states in verse 40: “God having provided some better thing for us”. Whatever the loss we may feel today, it is safe to say that God has some better thing for us tomorrow!
Here is a song about uncertain times and anxiety
when we are at a loss. Please click the link below:
Didn’t I Walk on Water
How? – (Short Inspiration from the Scriptures.)
“And in the desert you saw HOW the Lord your
God carried you, like one carries a child. And he
has brought you safely all the way to this place.”
(Duet. 1:31 – NCV)
“How…?” is usually a question we ask or ponder that seemingly has no foreseeable answer. The Israelites questioned Moses many times about the way things were unfolding in the wilderness. Many of them murmured and complained or just simply did not believe that God, through Moses, was able to bring them to their destination. What we do see is a great and loving God, who provided for an estimated 2 million people for approximately 40 years! Our God is God!
God doesn’t give us any details in the scripture above as to HOW He preserved Israel from all the dangers in the wilderness and HOW He kept them from becoming extinct as a nation. We do understand from the scripture that He preserved them by carrying them and brought them to their promised land! “How” is God’s business; our business is to trust!
Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest
the desire of every living thing.
(Psalms 145:16)
You may be asking “how…?” today. Know this…God has a track record and history that those who belong to Him have been sustained. The old are often overlooked in our society, but look to those who are old and righteous and ask them about His power to provide (Prov. 16:31). King David, in the Bible, had come to a long and fulfilled life and his words remind us of God’s faithfulness: I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. (Psalm 37:25)
Look back on your life and see where God has brought you from and, right now, GIVE HIM THE PRAISE! Then…from there…there is nothing else to say but this: Trust God!
PCAFI Christian Ed. Aux. (ICEA) Articles 