Gifts From God: Devotions From Time of GraceSample

God’s Gifts Through the Church

There is one more group of God’s gifts to celebrate--those he gives through your church. Worship, study, and prayer are all wonderful and necessary on your own. But there is something irreplaceable and wonderful for your life that God chooses to give to you through the assembly of the believers called “church.”

Teachers

Let’s face it. The Bible is a big, intimidating book. It sweeps past thousands of years of history, refers to life in ancient cultures far different from our own, lists the names of thousands of obscure people and places, and presents the mysteries of God’s identity and works.

What a joy it is to learn from experienced teachers who can pass on the accumulated wisdom and understanding of years of study and training! From nursery school moms to VBS volunteers to Sunday school staff to parish school educators to youth ministers to pastors to professors, God has lavishly given great people to share his great message. The Bible says that it was God “who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith” (Ephesians 4:11-13).

Nobody has to start from scratch. We all benefit from the huge boost we get from our Bible teachers. They summarize, emphasize, distinguish, explain, illustrate, and apply God’s powerful and beautiful message for us. Who taught you God’s Word? Several people? You owe God several thanks. Were your teachers in the hundreds? You owe God a hundred thanks. Remember your teachers. Love your teachers.