Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Witness of the People of God
Isaiah 6:8-13
Vs. 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”
 God delights in using people from different backgrounds, talents, professions, and ages to accomplish His work.  The men and women in the Bible came from varied backgrounds but God was able to use them due to a common denominator--their willingness to make themselves available to Him for His service. 
 You may wonder what the purpose of your life is and wonder if you are living a life “worthy of the call”.  As you attend work or school every day and enter the daily grind of your life, you may feel that the days slip by without purpose or meaning. However, God has gifted you very specifically and uniquely.  Your life, your circumstances, your personality, talents, and the places in which you work or function are no accident.  You have a specific sphere of influence. God can use you to reach people that perhaps will never meet another Christian.  2 Corinthians 5:20 states that “we are Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. “
 Rather than being caught up in the why or how of our circumstances, instead of being consumed with wishing things were different in our lives or that we were in some other setting, we should make ourselves available to God for Him to use according to His master plan. Our prayer should be that of Isaiah: “Here am I.  Send me!”
 In addition, we should be reminded that our goal is not to "convince" or "convict" others.  We do not “save” others. Only the Holy Spirit can convict people and make them ready to receive the gospel message. However, our responsibility is to share the gospel message, to WITNESS to those around us.  Let us follow Isaiah’s example in being bold and eager to witness, regardless of the reception we may receive, not worrying about whether our message will fall on deaf ears, but rather keeping our eyes fixed on the One who gives the call. 
PRAYER
Dear Father, thank You for the unique talents, personalities, and gifts You have given me and for the varied opportunities You present me.  Please grant me boldness and courage to share the Gospel with those around me, and help me to have Your heart for the lost. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
If we were to earnestly ask God to open our eyes to the people He has placed in our lives to whom we can witness, we would never fail for opportunities to witness.
Dr. Julie Sadhu, Bethel MTC, Frankfort, IL
Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church 

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