Tuesday... Do you know your assignment?

The Apostle Peter wrote a letter in the later part of the New Testament of the Bible and here is the way he started it. In verse 1 (MSG) of the first chapter of 1 Peter he writes, "I, Peter, an apostle on assignment by Jesus, the Messiah, writing to exiles scattered to the four winds."

Peter knew why he got up every morning. And that is a great thing to know. He didn't lay in bed and wonder what he was going to do each day. He was assigned to reach out to people who had been scattered from their home. And if you read these two letters you too will be encouraged especially if you are going through tough times.

So why do you get up each morning? God has an assignment for each of us. Do you know your's? A good thing is to start your day by thanking God for your yesterday and them asking Him for the assignment for the day and the strength to do it.

Now I know my assignment and I am energized by it each and everyday that I do it. I am retired from doing that which I used to be employed to do but I have not retired from doing God's assignment each day that I have here on earth. And I am built to do it and I am energized each day that I do it.

We are about to go into the World Series of baseball. Now in baseball there is a pitcher and a hitter. The pitcher throws a ball and the batter is to hit the ball. Now the batter has a bat. It is a fairly long piece of wood and on that bat there is what is called a sweet spot and if the batter hits the ball on that sweet spot the ball will go far.

Now God has created each one of us with a sweet spot. It is that part of your personality and your ability that when you are using it you will be energized. Too many people are doing work that drags them down. When they get home they are worn out but others are working in their sweet spot and are energized when they are working. God has given each one of us a sweet spot that we are assigned to use.

Now read this verse again. It says, "I, Peter, an apostle on assignment by Jesus, the Messiah, writing to exiles scattered to the four winds." Now I think Peter is energized by doing what God has assigned him to do because God has built him to do it and called him to do it.

Pastor Rick Warren came up with a tremendous tool that helps us find what God has created us to do. He calls it our SHAPE. S - Spiritual gifts. H- heart, what do you really love to do? A - abilities. P - personality. And E - experience. All of those show us how God has shaped us to do what he has assigned us to do.

Now I have found my assignment at this point of my life and I love to do it and by the way I am not paid to do it. I am retired. When I was working I also was energized by what I was doing because I was on a life assignment by God and I got paid.

After Peter wrote these two letters he looked for and did his next specific assignment from God. Now he did have an overall life assignment. He was called out by Jesus to be one of his 12 Apostles but he also has some specific assignments. Now one of my very important life assignments has been to be the best husband and father and grandfather I can possibly be. And I am energized by my deep love for my family. Love does that. I don't always feel that I do a good job but my love for them and my love for Jesus keeps me at doing my assignment.

So do you know your assignment and are you doing it? This is just a thought on making your life more meaningful and energized. So would you strive to seek out Jesus' assignment for you today. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

Monday... He did it by Himself

Isaiah 44:24b (AMP), "I am the Lord, Maker of all things. Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself." Monday... He did it by Himself. Many have a tendency to think very highly of themselves and what they can do. Oh we do have great ability but we are not the source. Yes it is important to have self-confidence but we are limited. The prophet Isaiah in 44:9-10 (NLT) says, "How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don't know this, so they are all put to shame. Who but a fool would make his own god - an idol that cannot help him one bit?" Now later in verse 24 (AMP) he writes, "For the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb says, 'I am the Lord, Maker of all things, Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself.'" I love that. "By Myself." Now we do need confidence but we are foolish to ma...

Friday... We have this hope of expectancy.

Psalm 5:3 (NLT), "Listen to my voice in the morning Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly." Friday... We have this hope of expectancy. Now David found a great way to start his day. He says in Psalm 5:1-3 (NLT), "O LORD, hear me as I pray." And that is a great place to start. It really is. Morning sunrise He goes on, "Listen to my cry for help, my King, my God, for I pray to no one but you." And that is so important. We don't try to pump ourselves up by ourself. No, we pray to no one but you, God, my LORD, my King. Now this relationship with God is so, so very important. And then David says, "Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you" And that is so great. And then he says, "and wait expectantly." Yes, we have this hope of expectancy. We are experienced. That is what a relationship with God and a moment by moment connection does. It makes a difference in our daily wa...

Friday... Yes, we can know this to be true.

Psalm 12:6 (NLT), "The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." Friday... Yes, we can know this to be true. Maybe this is what you want to say in this day in which we live. Psalm 12:1-2 (MSG) says, "Quick, I need your helping hand! The last decent person just went down, all the friends I depend on gone. Everyone talks in lie language; lies slide off their oily lips. They doubletalk with forked tongues." Do you ever feel that way?" Have you found that to be true? Well David the writer of this Psalm continues and says in verse 6 something to encourage us, to lift us up, to give us hope. Psalm 12:6 (NLT) says, "The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." The Message Paraphrase says verses 6-8 this way, "God's words are pure words, pure silver words refined seven times in the fires of his word-kiln, pure on earth as well as in heaven, God, keep ...

Todays Beginning

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