Today's Devotional

June 9, 2003

Subject:  Maestro and Me

Acts 15:40 - "And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God."

A missionary journey is no work for a Lone Ranger.  So in the passage above you have Paul taking Silas.  In the verse preceding this one, you have Barnabas taking Mark and going their way.  The question today is, who are you taking on your missionary journey?  While at times Jesus can use us individually to accomplish His work, often He sends us out just as He did with His disciples and apostles, in teams or with companions.  Sometimes we don't recognize this and we try to go it alone and that can end up in disaster.  Consider just a second brother Lot.  A righteous man trying to go it alone.  His life was spared when Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed, but it had far-reaching consequences for his family.

Maestro (AKA Ronald Johns Jr. - musician and sound engineer) and I have come to understand how God has uniquely equipped us individually to work together as a team producing music.  We realize that while we both have certain abilities, those abilities are enhanced by the gifts of the other.  This is quite like a marriage of sorts and supports why we should be only yoked together with believers in order to accomplish God's purposes.  While it may appear that Maestro and I are only producing music, we see it as so much more than that.  God is shaping us and making us more fit for His kingdom. 

Today, consider the mission that God has given you and seek the companion(s) that He gives to enable His purposes.  Like Maestro and me, you will soon find out that He perfectly equips those who have the "Jesus Mission" as their business.

Carlen