Friday, January 24, 2014

Familiar things

One job I had and enjoyed was driving a forklift. I could maneuver it around my brothers Mobile home factory picking of heavy loads and delivering them in tight places. There were two levers one to raise the forks and one to tilt the forks. My trusted forklift was as an extension of myself. For some reason the forklift was sent in for repairs and when I began to use it again, something was wrong, the two levers had been switched. the raise lever was now the tilt lever. Soon after this I was unloading a large load of plywood, probably too big a load for the forklift. Well, the foreman was there and he said just lift it off the truck, back up and let it down fast. I did this and hit the down lever, but it was now the tilt lever. The load slid and almost tipped over the empty truck. The point of the story is if you get good at something, do not change what you are good at for something else.

David faced the giant Goliath. Saul gave him his armour and his sword for the battle. These were new things to be used against the giant. David preferred his familiar sling.

1Sa 17:39  And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him. 

1Sa 17:50  So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. 

God could have given Moses a weapon but he used his rod.

Exo 4:2  And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. 
Exo 4:3  And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.
Exo 4:4  And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: 
Exo 4:5  That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee. 

The LORD used Moses and familiar things with his power and miracles working through them. My point is that we are to use what is tried and true. In photography it was a familiar camera. In music a familiar instrument etc. New things he brings but our familiarity helps in times of conflict or stress. Use what you have; that which is proven and familiar to you for God's glory.

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