March 2017

Places Everyone, Places!

“But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him.” – 1 Corinthians 12:18

When I was in high school, I played in a couple of musicals. We learned our lines in practice for months in to prepare for opening night. Before each scene, we had to make sure we were in the right place on stage (or off stage if we were to enter during the scene) in order to correctly deliver our lines. Getting in place was not exciting or glamorous, but it was vital if the show was to be a success.

God has a great “show” planned for this time in history (Acts 2:17-21). The world is a stage, we Christians are his actors, and God himself is the master director calling out “Places everyone, places!” Each of us has words to be spoken and deeds to be done that God has prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10). However, in order for the show to come off as the Master plans, we must all be in our places.

And one of the scenes with our high school production, I had to position myself in a group of people next to a well in order to deliver my performance. You see, the show called for others to approach us during the scene so that we could interact with them. What would’ve happened if I had said, “I don’t like being by this well; I want to go stand by that tree”? Or, “I don’t want to be around this group of people; I’m going to hang out with those people over there“? If I had done that, all that I had work to accomplish would not have come to pass during the scene. I would have had everything I needed on the inside but not been in position to deliver it.

Let us consider our own lives. It may not be convenient to go to church both the Sunday in midweek services. Perhaps it is not our first choice to usher or work in the nursery. Maybe supporting our local church doesn’t seem convenient. As missionaries, we travel more than we would if we were our own Lord. The things God asks us to do may not always make sense to us. However, if our M is using them to get us in place for his end-time harvest, then it is vital that we obey. It is an honor and there’s great reward in serving the Lord!

When God instructs through the Bible and leads us by His Holy Spirit both in things that seem small and large, he is positioning us to be where we need to be to fulfill our role at this important time. The work is so great and the laborers so few (Matthew 9:37-38) that we were only accomplish God’s work in one way – by completely and specifically obeying His every direction. When we follow God in our service to the local church, and are praying, and are witnessing, and in our giving, we are cooperating with him in the greatest show of mercy and power that the world has ever known. Listening in the spirit, I believe we hear the director calling out, “places everyone, places!” Let us pursue his calling, his positioning, above all else.

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