God looks for opportunities to show Himself strong in the lives of His saints. This is true both historically and in the lives of His people living today.
God has a calling on each man’s life. Furthermore, He enables men to fulfill their appointed work. Man, however, must be strong and DO the work.
God works in mysterious ways! At times, in order to bring about His desired plan in the lives of His own people, the Lord strengthens the hands of His enemies.
Perceived strength can be one’s own worst enemy. After all, it leads people to think that they are more powerful and capable than they really are.
Man is not promised an endless supply of strength for him to store up. Rather, God promises to provide the necessary grace and strength for the present trials.
Change often results in fear. As such, it must be met with strength. Failure to do so can breed panic that only God's strength can overcome.
Before a man will ever learn how to be a great leader, he must first learn how to be a dependable follower. If he cannot serve without receiving recognition, he will never know how to handle the recognition once he takes on a leadership role. If a man will not follow instructions, he will never be equipped to give instructions that others should follow. Long before Joshua led the children of Israel into the land of promise, he faithfully served as the minister of Moses. Before Joshua became known as the leader of a nation, he faithfully gave himself to the previous leader of Israel. Likewise, before David became the king of Israel, he submitted himself as a servant to Saul. And lastly, before Elisha ever became a great prophet of God, he faithfully served under Elijah’s tutelage.
The devotions on the subject of counsel have thus far dealt specifically with counsel received from another person. Yet counsel received from the Lord is the greatest counsel. In Joshua 9:14, the people refused to seek counsel from the Lord and made decisions that caused them trouble for many years. Though God does not speak to us audibly, we are not left to our own devices. We find a more sure word of consultation through His written word. This is why each decision should be carefully checked against the word of God. The Bible is able to discern our thoughts and intentions (Hebrews 4:12) and can determine if we are making the right choices. No better counsel can be received than that which you will find in God’s word.
