Daily Devotionals by Ardith Keef

     Are you a minister of the Gospel?
     Are you discouraged and do you feel as though your efforts are not effective?
     All great men and women of God have gone through the same experience.  Listen
to me:
     It was never intended that you should feel successful.  Nor was it intended that you 
should get "job satisfaction" from your assignment.
     We who are serving him with all we have must come to the point where we 
understand that when we preach, He will say things we have not heard.  We must 
come to the point where we acknowledge that we can not acquire skills - we must 
learn to step out of the way.  After all - what does the verse mean when Paul said,  He
must increase and I must decrease. . ."
     Those who have stepped over the line and have accepted the responsibility of
answering The Call must take God at His Word that He will do the Work and they
must learn to lend their bodies and faculties in the true Romans 12 way.
     Young and old, new and experienced, we stand before a Living God Who rules, 
yet who seeks those who will minister according to the direction and anointing of the
Holy Spirit.
     Are you willing?
     Or do you need to feel as though you have done well?
     Would you go in with a pencil and clipboard and assess Paul's success?  Let's
see:  almost all have deserted, torture, imprisonment, public disgrace, and more.
     What does he say?  "I am in chains, but The Word of God is not in chains. . ."
     "For your sake I am in these chains . . ."
     ". . .I am not ashamed of these chains. . ."
     Soldier of the Cross, is your marriage tough?  Have there been false accusations?
Are your finances worse than ever? Are you ill? Are you depressed or angry?
     Do you have a child who is disgracing you?
     Look up and move on!