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In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Perhaps the only certainty we have in this worldly life is that it’s totally uncertain.
Think about it. What plans were you making in 2019? I’m sure there were quite a few as you approached 2020 and beyond.
But then a pandemic happened and through our world upside down. Our best laid places were laid to waste for the most part and then we found ourselves just trying to get by, one day after another, without getting infected.
And then, just as we thought we were coming out of the dark shadows of COVID, ready to establish a new normal and start to learn to live again, a major war breaks out overseas which impact everyone globally in some way. Our economy starts to suffer even more than it did through the pandemic and prices begin to skyrocket (Have you gone to the gas pumps lately?). Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ve seen the worst yet.
That’s where we are friends and let’s not think this is just a recent phenomenon. You could go back through the decades and find events that happened which brought widespread flux, changing things in short notice for many people. In fact, it’s been just a little over ten years since 9/11 happened and with all we have gone through recently, it feels like a very long time ago.
Given this constant churn in our lives, it’s a comfort to know that we do have one sure constant in life in our Lord. The scriptures tell us that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8) and through the ages, He has validated these words through His presence and actions. Things may change and they do but our Lord doesn’t. He is perfectly reliable and true, ever there for us, no matter our circumstances.
He is also perfectly right and equitable in the way He grants people gifts and then assigns them to use those gifts to His glory, in and out of the church. He constantly purposes His people so that they can carry out His divine plan. This is the truth we find Paul sharing in our passage for today drawn from the opening verses of 1 Corinthians 12. Look again at his words here:
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
The work of the Lord requires a lot of people with specialized skill sets to carry out His will. These skill sets are many and different, each unique to what the Lord wants to achieve. And even though the gifts are different, He imparts them on His people through the same Holy Spirit. There isn’t a special spirit that gives one gift and another spirit that grants another. One Spirit used by one Lord to distribute many different gifts, gifts given by a Lord who is our only true constant.
When it comes to applying those gifts to carry out what the Lord desires, we see that there are many different kinds of service and working that the Lord could call us to and although the tasks are diverse, the Lord who assigns responsibilities is constant, our only true constant in life.
Yes, life changes, sometimes on a dime. We have covered events that impacted the masses but what about the more personal events that abruptly alter life for us, events like a sudden death of a loved one or onset of a serious disease such as cancer. Maybe we lose a job and experience sudden financial hardship. It doesn’t take much to completely change our lives in a big way on a personal level but what a comfort it is to know that we have a Lord who loves and cares for us in a special way, a Lord who is ready to provide what we need to make it through our difficulties, a Lord who is our sure constant, no matter how life throws our world into a frenzy.
Today and every day, let’s give thanks for our Lord who is always with us and for us, no matter what.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
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