Week of August 23
Capable
"The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights." Habakkuk 3:19
Despite whatever assignment the Lord sends us on, He makes us capable to thrive amid any circumstance to fulfill His purpose.
Consider Amos. The Bible says, "Amos was a herdsman from the small town of Tekoa; he was not a man of the court like Isaiah, or a priest like Jeremiah. Though he lived in Judah, he was sent to announce God's judgment on the northern kingdom (Israel)."
Imagine being a simple man like Amos and being chosen by God to deliver messages of judgment to priests and kings? How many of us would have the natural confidence to go from the prairie to the palace? (Amos 7:13)
If we are willing to receive them, God will assign us missions to carry out that are bigger than ourselves, ones that require great faith and a big God to complete. But we must trust the power of God.
The very word "capable" means to possess the qualities needed to do a particular thing well; to have the legal competency, ability or legal power to do something. "Capable" is from the Latin word "capere," which means "to take" or "able to take in."
When we break it down, we see that two words make up the word "capable"--"cap" and "able." The word "able" means to be positioned to do something. And the word "cap" means to cover, surpass and complete something. As Christians, with God as our covering, Jesus residing in us and the Holy Spirit guiding us, we are able to complete divine missions on high levels--even ones that will change the course of nations--if we are in position to receive them.
In the case of Amos, God empowered (or made capable) Amos for the purpose of restoring social justice and righteousness to Israel. Although Amos did not consider himself to be a seer prophet (Amos 7:14), God enabled him to see visions and prophesy. The Bible describes Amos as a "vigorous spokesman." Amos was "able to take in" God's visions and speak them out in citadels with great confidence. This simple herdsman and fig farmer was fortified, covered and obedient.
Amos had great faith, which propelled him throughout his great assignment, above his usual position and beyond his usual work environment.
How is God using you? Has He sent you out on any special assignments lately? Would you be willing to go if He spoke to you amid your prairie existence?
The Christian life should be an adventure--full of the unknown, relying upon God to cover and complete us and His missions. Do we have great faith? Are we in position? Are we capable?
Margaret D. Mitchell is the Founder of God's Love at Work, a marketplace outreach purposed to share God's greatest power source - the love of Christ. Check out the God's Love at Work 2009 Women's Conference & Expo [http://www.godsloveatwork.com/2009womensexpo] in the Atlanta area on Saturday, November 7.
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