Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “True Greatness”
Our Bible verse for today: “But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” Deuteronomy 8:18 (NIV)
Our thought for today: “Great men and women of God give the glory to God for the success they have.”
I was once in a meeting with a group of Pastors, including the Pastor of one of the largest churches in America. This Pastor was telling the rest of us of how, since his church was so big, he received lots of requests from many high profile individuals asking for the opportunity to speak at his church.
He told us the story about one nationally known speaker and author who called. The man called to offer his services to the Pastor of this big church, explaining that he would be a great blessing to the people of the church. He then went on to explain that of course he would need a first class plane ticket for himself, and a coach class ticket for his assistant; he would require a suite in a five star hotel; a driver to transport him; the refrigerator in his room would need to be stocked with a detailed list of the drinks, snacks, and other amenities; and then there was the issue of the $10,000 speaking fee.
Obviously this guy was way too impressed with himself and was behaving more like a rock star than as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And needless to say, he did not receive an invitation to speak in that church.
In Deuteronomy 8:18 Moses exhorted the people to remember that it was the Lord God who gave them their ability to create wealth. In other words, whether you are a farmer, a carpenter, a shopkeeper, a butcher, a baker, or a candlestick maker, it is God who endowed you with the skills you have and it is God who should get the glory for whatever good is accomplished in your life.
Yes, even if you happen to be a big-shot author and speaker, your skills and abilities come from God and therefore you need to get over yourself and give the glory to God.
Moses, by the way, was the greatest leader the nation of Israel ever had and one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known, but he was also an extremely humble man who did not think too highly of himself. Numbers 12:3 tells us, “Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.”
As you read the story of Moses you quickly discover that he realized that any great thing accomplished through him was actually a result of what God had done, not because of any skill or ability he possessed.
One of the great dangers of any accomplishment on our part is that we can start to deceive ourselves into believing that we ourselves have brought it about. Great men and women of God don’t allow themselves to think that way. Like Moses, they are very aware of their own weaknesses and limitations, and they give the glory to God for any good thing that is accomplished in their lives.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 