my thoughts of today....

God gives each one of us talents. free will. the ability to think. the power through Him to intercede on behalf of others. What we do with all those things is ultimately up to us. I have been thinking and praying lately and it struck me today....especially lately I have been a little consumed with the troubles that swirl around me and have felt many days as though I were at the very end of my proverbial rope. Just swinging there holding the frayed ends of the last strand....waiting for it to give way and begin my free fall. So today as I prayed through my morning a thought was born and has grown throughout my day....
Without God, I cannot. Without me, He will not.
I think this is true in a couple ways. one, God has given me gifts and talents to help myself, He expects me to use those every day. If I use the wisdom and gifts He gave me then He can enter in and help me through anything.

Romans 12: 6-8

⁶We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his^b]">[b]faith. ⁷If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; ⁸if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

BUT God also gave those very same gifts to others as well. And He expects us to take care of each other. To pray for eachj other, to intercede on the behalf of those around us. If we fail to do so then we are limiting God. I am not saying we prevent Him from working things out. God is God and He will intervene how and when He sees fit. But I looked some verses up and this is what I found.

Isaiah 59:16 (New International Version)

¹⁶ He saw that there was no one,
he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so his own arm worked salvation for him,
and his own righteousness sustained him.

Ezekiel 22:30 (New International Version)

³⁰ "I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.

1 Timothy 2

¹I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—

The way I see it is that God sees when we fail to use our gifts to touch others. Our failure hurts Him deeply. Instead of turning His back and just letting whatever will be...be. He rolls up His sleeves and intervenes. But that is not His plan. His plan is for us to be the intercessors for each other that He gifted us to be. Aren't we to be His Hand extended.

I am going to pay closer attention to how I use my gifts. I am going to try to be a better steward of them as well. I desire to be Gods Hand extended in all places of my life.