Passage of the Day:
The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen, 1 Peter 4:7-11.
Reflection:
There was a belief in the first century that Jesus was going to return before all the apostles and disciples would die. Perhaps, this is what empowered Peter to become transformed into a spiritual giant willing to lay his own life down for his faith in Jesus. Yet, with this in mind, Peter realized that each follower of Jesus needed to search for God’s endowment of their own life. Peter shares that once this unique gift is unveiled, this must be demonstrated in the spirit of Christ Jesus.
Prayerful Action:
Tell all the skilled workers to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest, Exodus 28:3.
Working Out Your Salvation:
One of the translations from Hebrew to English in the above passage replaces wisdom with endowment. An endowment is endowing something or someone with a specific asset, gift or talent. When God gave Moses the responsibility to create special garments for Israel’s priests, he searched the land to find skillful seamstresses. If you are unsure what God has endowed you with, work out your salvation by searching for this specific talent. Once this is uncovered, present this endowment in a manner that would honor Jesus.
Song of the Day:
God’s endowment to me is Writing in the Spirit. Although this endowment took me over 30 years to be unveiled, Express Yourself 4Him wouldn’t exist if this talent was never discovered. Therefore, as this summer starts to come to an end, cry out to the Lord to reveal the endowment God has bestowed upon you.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 