Day 297
Matthew 10:1
"And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease."
When the disciples of Christ were dispatched to minister on His behalf, they had to receive the tools to get the job done. Jesus did not just give them instructions on what to do. He gave them what they needed to carry out those instructions. For the particular mission described in Matthew 10, the disciples needed supernatural power. Once they received the power to accomplish the task, they were then responsible to follow the instructions of their leader.
It is one thing to tell God we need power to do His work, but it is another thing to be responsible when we receive His power. So often, we think we are ready for more of the anointing and more of the power of God. Yet we are not sober in regards to the responsibility that goes along with what we ask for. Once we have been given the ability to do the works of Christ, we need to understand that it is not a tool to use as we choose, but rather a gift to distribute as we are instructed.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to us to minister as the Holy Spirit leads us. We must not use the anointing to promote
ourselves. The Holy Spirit has come to exalt Jesus. We should not refuse to operate in our gifts because of a fear of embarrassment. Our reputation is not a consideration in this arena. We cannot decide who deserves to receive the benefits of our anointing, because we do not own the gifts. We simply deliver them as we are instructed. They are sent from God, not from us.
It is possible for us to be tempted to tum off the Holy Spirit because we just do not feel like being used by God at a given time. However, we are not the Lord of our lives, and the gifts are not ours to decide when we will deliver them. If we want more of the anointing and the power of God, the key is not to ask for more, but to be faithful over what we already have. Jesus said those who are faithful over little can be trusted with more. If we are overly concerned about what people will think of us when we are among 20 people, then how can we expect to be used before thousands?
Let us not ask for more today, but rather repent for the disobedience and lack of responsibility we have displayed with what we already have. Then, let us focus on being faithful and obedient, as we use the gifts God has given us. When we do that, we will not have to ask for more. He will automatically give us more. Matthew 25:23 says, "His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."
I will repent of unfaithfulness over what I have already been given. I will practice faithfulness over what I have and seek to glorify my Lord by obeying His leadership. Without my having to ask, He will dispense power to me as He sees I am responsible enough to handle it.