Keys to being useful to God


Psalms 57:10-11 CEV‬

Your love reaches higher than the heavens; your loyalty extends beyond the clouds.

1. Know you are loved by God. Worship Him steadfastly:
God uses you because He loves you greatly, as David says "For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies" (Psalm 57:10). Worship Him steadfastly with your gifts publicly and privately, in good times and bad (Psalm 57:7-9).

2. Honor God in your life. Desire His glory:
Make it your ultimate desire to exalt God and let His glory be over all the earth (Psalm 57:11), just as Jesus taught to pray "hallowed be your name" (Matthew 6:9).

3. Do what the Father is doing, not your own plans:
Like Jesus who could do nothing by Himself but only what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19), try to discern God's plans and join in rather than initiating your own. 

4. Do good works as evidence of faith, but don't earn salvation by them:
Those who have done good will rise to live (John 5:29), though you cannot earn salvation through good works (Acts 10:38).

5. Seek to please God, not yourself:
Unlike the natural tendency to please oneself, Jesus said "I seek not to please myself but him who sent me" (John 5:30).

6. Cry out to the Lord for help in difficulties:
When oppressed and in poverty, the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help, which was the turning point (Judges 6:6).

7. Know God is with you, as He was with Gideon, the "mighty warrior" who felt weak, telling him "I will be with you" (Judges 6:12,16).

8. Recognize your weaknesses; God uses cracked pots:
Like Gideon who felt least in his family (Judges 6:15), boast in weaknesses so Christ's power rests on you (2 Corinthians 12:9).

9. Obey God fearlessly despite opposition:
Gideon obeyed God though risking death (Judges 6:27); when fear comes, let faith answer.

10. Be God-confident, not self-confident. Numbers don't matter, God's power does:
Gideon had too many men; God reduced them to 300 to show His power saved them (Judges 7:2-7).

11. Rely on the Holy Spirit's power to fulfill God's calling:
The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon (Judges 6:34); ask for the Holy Spirit's power.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for your great love for me that reaches to the heavens and for your faithfulness that reaches to the skies. I pray today that your name will be honoured through everything I do and say.

Father, help me to listen to your voice, to discern what you are doing and join in – not seeking to please myself but rather seeking to please you.

Lord, I need your Holy Spirit if I am going to fulfil the calling you have given me. Please send your Holy Spirit upon me today. Come, Holy Spirit.
***

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