How are you doing this morning, good I hope? I hope that you had a good weekend? My weekend was pretty good! My 6th grade girls took FIRST place in their division in the basketball tournament! We are a newly formed team (this year) with the 6th graders, so that makes winning our first tournament all the more sweeter! My 5th Graders are pretty salty too when they step on the court and have a pretty good record (35-8) coming into this season!!! It is just a Blessing for me to be coaching these little girls who are tough as nails and gritty as can be! I hope you all have a good and very BLESSED Monday and the rest of your work week too!
God Bless You and Yours!
#RideOrDieWithJesusChrist!
“God chose David . . He brought him to shepherd His people.” Psalm 78:70-71 NKJV.
Gifting and anointing is always by God’s grace and initiative.
I continue my thoughts and comments today about “Integrity of Heart.”
By Pastor Allen Randolph
God evaluates your potential rather than your past, your availability not ability. God sees possibilities others assume improbable. God’s ways are eternal; they remain unchanged. In the Kingdom of God, Godly potential proceeds from integrity. There is a time to further develop your natural abilities and a place to hone your skills. Diligence in those is good stewardship of what God has invested in you, but God does not depend upon those alone. God’s gifting, with the Holy Spirit’s anointing, will surpass the very best of your abilities and efforts.
Gifting and anointing is by God’s grace and initiative alone. He initiates with grace; you respond with faith. Heaven’s initiative occurs wherever God finds spiritual integrity. For my purpose today, I would define integrity as, “a heart that serves God and others unselfishly with singular devotion to obedience.” As I wrote in the previous devotional on this topic, God looks upon your heart. Review 1 Samuel 16:7 NIV. Neither good intentions nor natural aptitude impress God or influence His decision to choose and use you.
God looks for the same spiritual qualifications that He sought and found in David. “God raised up for them David as king, to whom also [God] gave testimony, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’” Acts 13:22 NKJV. Allow the Holy Spirit to conform your heart to God’s heart and establish your heart to do God’s will in all ways, at all times and your life will be a life God can bless and use. The Bible wisely counsels, “Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23 NKJV.
The Bible says, “God chose David His servant . . and took him from the sheepfolds to shepherd His people . . So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them with the skillfulness of his hands.” Psalm 78:70-72 NKJV. In those verses, the Hebrew word, “shepherded,” literally means “to provide nourishment.” Whatever you have to give God or others can only come out of integrity authenticated by faithfulness.
God’s testimony of David was two-fold; David shepherded/fed Israel according to the integrity of his heart and guided/led Israel with the skillfulness of his hands. The latter requires the foundation of the former. We will look further into the principle of spiritual integrity and skillfulness when we continue next week.
Today, I pray for you that your heart is pure before God and man.
K-Love’s Encouraging Words:
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:1 (NLT)
~Long Live Real Cowboys~
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