Be Apprehend-able
A Devotion
The Goodsoil Discipleship Ministry
By Bro. Andy Madonio
September 29, 2006
"The God of Israel said,
The Rock of Israel spoke to me,
'He who rules over men righteously,
Who rules in the fear of God,
4 Is as the light of the morning {when} the sun rises,
A morning without clouds,
{When} the tender grass {springs} out of the earth,
Through sunshine after rain.'
5 "Truly is not my house so with God?
For He has made an everlasting covenant with me,
Ordered in all things, and secured;
For all my salvation and all {my} desire,
Will He not indeed make {it} grow?
6 "But the worthless, every one of them will be thrust away like thorns,
Because they cannot be taken in hand . . ."
2 Samuel 23:3-6
In the last days of his life, King David of Israel saw with a clarity and calm force that wisdom brings in time. He realized that the fruitfulness of our lives in God's hands was dependent upon the ease with which He could grasp us and use us. Proper tools have well designed handles that easily permit them to be used effectively and efficiently. An axe with a smooth strong handle chops more wood than one with a splintered grip.
A man is of use in God's hands - he is 'righteous' - when he does not cause God pain, but rather, is a joy to use. David had been useful to God throughout much of his life, but he also saw in crystal clear retrospect that there were times when he was a thorny implement that caused his heavenly Father much pain. In simple terms, those times of spiritual 'thorny-ness' showed David to be 'worthless' to God, and he was subsequently 'thrust away' for a season; God simply could not grasp him effectively.
God desires for you to be apprehend-able to Him, a tool He can use mightily, not one that will cause Him pain. Be like 'sunshine after rain' and cause the things of God to grow. In love and obedience, ask Him to grasp you firmly and be used. The most wonderful tool is 'worthless' if it cannot be apprehended.
