Scripture I Samuel 14: 6-15 I Samuel 20: 35-42 Luke 5: 27-28

Moments appear in our life at different times How do we handle these and do we experience God's call when they appear. These moments often involve making a decision ten and not deferred.

In the fist scripture this was probably the only chance Jonathan had to go and basically beat the feared Philistines himself. It would have been easier to say we need to check what spies say and the other military commanders and then take action. But Jonathan responded and took action. Consider what he had as his fleece, a question if they answered to come up meant that God was with him and he would beat them. Consider what the alternative was when he heard them answer tat that they would just kill him and his servant. But God gave him a moment and he responded. Seizing Your Divine Moments, a book I am currently reading in an on-line study group, starts off with this scripture.

Use the opportunity when it strikes Reach for the stars and if you don't get quite what you are reaching for you may have gotten the moon. Consider the others around you. They just might reach for the sky at the same time and and if they fall short they failed in their mind but think you succeeded with reaching moon because you went beyond their dream and yet you have settled for less than what you reached for. Jonathan had an opportunity and took it.

In the second scripture which you may be wondering how fit, Jonathan and David had an opportunity to get together one last time. David had been missing in camp for a day and Saul was getting concerned. Remember Saul started out as a great King but then progressively went mad as time went by and he was getting concerned on David. Jonathan knew that he and David really couldn't get together and he needed to warn David away. Remember these were extremely close friends They saw an opportunity again and Jonathan moved on that moment. He had a chance to warn David and tell him goodbye. They set up the moment and used i and David went on and lived and established a greater kingdom. notice too the separating blessing Jonathan gives David and that David and his descendents will do well, which they did. This was a difficult moment to use, but yet an important one also.

In the third one Levi get called to follow Jesus. It says he was in his office. Whether this was a real office as we think of today or a spot by the road and event Levi was in office as a tax collector and doing well. He was a despised person by commoners, much more that we do in US. We make jokes about IRS agents all the time but we will hang out with them and they are welcome in our social circles and churches. In that time they were usually well off, but they were despised by everyone except the politically climbing and cast out. Notice ho often they are grouped with prostitutes. However Levi would have done well financially and had a special group of friends and was considered a success. Now this man Jesus appears and gives him his moment. He could have stayed in the at financial secure position and lived out life comfortably. He chose to up and leave it, notice he just left it all, and followed Jesus. Did the moment make a difference? Eternally we know this led to his salvation. But think in earthly terms also the difference the choice he made that day made. If he had stayed no one today 2000 years later would know about him, but yet Christians through out the world know who Levi is today. he took advantage f his moment.

Some moments may reappear but most often you have one chance on these special moments. Yes, Levi could have chosen to follow Jesus later, but this was his one moment to be in the 12. Jonathan may never again had the moment to beat the Philistines single handed. Jonathan and David probably would have never gotten that goodbye again and would David actually been able to consolidate his leadership later without it, we don't know. Be prepared to respond when your moment appears. Keep aiming for the best. Even though I am with out job, I have to apply for God to have job for me. I also have used the time to catch up on web page work and to become more involved in ways to follow God. (It has not been a time of boredom, I really have hardly had time to get to some stuff I would like to do, but in last week or so have started running again and stained glass. a job search does take a good bit of time) I get opportunities to work on computers continuously, and am using them to continue to grow and who knows one of them may be that moment someone says I have or know the job for you Dwight. Don't stop waiting for moment, but when that moment is there use it.

Dwight

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