Sir Michael Costa, the celebrated conductor, was holding a rehearsal. As the mighty chorus rang out, accompanied by scores of instruments, the musician playing the piccolo (a little pint-sized flute) thinking perhaps that his contribution would not be missed amid so much music, stopped playing. Suddenly, the great leader stopped and cried out, “Where is the piccolo?”

The sound of that one small instrument was essential to the harmony, and the conductor missed it when it dropped out. The point? To the conductor there are no insignificant instruments in an orchestra. Sometimes the smallest and seemingly least important one can make the greatest contribution, and even if it doesn’t seem to make that big a difference to the audience at large, the conductor knows it right away!²

In God’s kingdom there is a place for everyone. There are no exceptions to this rule. Thus it is important that everyone is in his or her place if God’s work on earth is going to be done harmoniously.

At times I may feel insignificant and that I can’t do much for God, but as Edward Everett Hales said, “I am only one, but I am one. I can’t do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God, I will.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you have a place for me in your kingdom work on earth. Please help me to sharpen my gift and use it for your glory in the world in which I live. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Romans 12:4-6 (NIV).

2. Adapted from Richard Love, Sermon: “Blowing Your Horn,” Memphis: Sermon Illustrations.

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

And the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,

When funds are low and debts are high,

And you have to smile, but you want to cry,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if your must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won had he stuck it out.

So don’t give up though the pace seems slow,

For you may succeed with another blow,

Success is failure turned inside out,

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far,

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit,

It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.

– Edgar A. Guest

To quit or not to quit? When things go wrong that is sometimes an extremely difficult decision at which to arrive. There are times when we may need to change our direction, our job, our location, or quit a destructive or “just-plain-not-going-anywhere” situation. The important thing is not to quit too soon. However, it’s equally important not to hang in too long and keep “whipping a dead horse!”

But how do we know when to hang in or when to quit? In this kind of situation, after I’ve done everything I can to redeem the bad situation without success, sometimes I still don’t know. It is then (having already committed the situation to God, and having sought his direction) that I trust God that the decision I make will be in harmony with his will for me.

Furthermore, at times like these I always ask God to give me the insight to see the truth and reality of the situation in question. Once I see reality, I know what I need to do. Then I pray for the courage to do it!

God hasn’t promised to make our decisions for us or tell us what to do. What he has promised—providing we want and ask for it—is wisdom, guidance, direction, and understanding, and to be with us as long as we are genuinely seeking to walk in his ways.

However, when it comes to growing in “faith, and love and every grace” it is required that we never quit!

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me with my decision regarding (name the situation). Help me to see the reality of the total situation so that I will know what is the best thing for me to do. Whatever that is, please give me the courage to do it. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV).

“The body [Christ's Church] is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body…. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ God has combined the members of the body … so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.”¹

Some readers will be old enough to remember Richard Daley who was mayor of Chicago for 21 years (1955-1976). Mayor Daley was known as a rather forbidding man to work for. One story goes like this. One of Mayor Daley’s speech writers came in and demanded a raise. Mayor Daley responded as could be expected. He said ‘I’m not going to give you a raise. You are getting paid more than enough already. It should be enough for you that you are working for a great American hero like myself.’ And that was the end of it … or so the mayor thought.

“Two weeks later Mayor Daley was on his way to give a speech to a convention of veterans. The speech was going to receive nationwide attention. Now one other thing Mayor Daley was famous for was not reading his speeches until he got up to deliver them. So there he stood before a vast throng of veterans and nationwide press coverage. He began to describe the plight of the veterans. ‘I’m concerned for you. I have a heart for you. I am deeply convinced that this country needs to take care of its veterans. So, today I am proposing a seventeen-point plan that includes the city, state and federal government, to care for the veterans of this country.’

“Now by this time everyone was on the edge of their seat to hear what the proposal was. He turned the page and saw only these words: “You’re on your own now, you great American hero!”²

The fact is that there are many people who have contributed to our lives to help make us what we are, and to give us the freedoms we enjoy today—at least for those of us who live in free countries. We need to be grateful for every person who has ever helped us—including every veteran who has put his or her life on the line to defend our freedoms.

Speaking personally, I grew up in Australia during World War II and, had it not been for the U.S. military, Australia—without doubt—would have been totally run over by the Japanese. Our population at the time was only about seven million and much of Australia’s military forces were fighting in Europe to help save the U.K. from Hitler’s Germany. So I am extremely thankful for every U.S. veteran who gave his or her life to save mine.

May we all give credit where credit is due. And may we never forget how much God has done and continues to do behind the scenes for every one of us—every day.

Suggested prayer, “Dear God, thank you for every person who has contributed to the betterment of my life—including every veteran who has helped to protect my freedom. Thank you, too, for the gift/s you have given to me. Please help me to use them to help make my world a better place in which to live, and always do this for your glory. And, above all, thank you for giving your Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for all my sins so that I can receive your forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Corinthians 12:12, 21, 24-25 (NIV).

2. Journey Toward God, New Community Small Group Study on Exodus (Zondervan), p.33.

Today in the Word reported how “Andrew Carnegie, a poor Scottish immigrant turned powerful industrialist, became one of the richest men of the nineteenth century—and one of the most generous. It’s estimated he gave nine out of every ten dollars he earned in oil, railroads, and steel to charity, an astounding total of $350 million over his lifetime. A strong supporter of free libraries and education, he believed that the rich had a moral responsibility to use their wealth to benefit others. Carnegie spread his wealth around, making philanthropy his life’s priority.”²

Obviously, very few people ever have this kind of wealth, but we all have something that we can give—be it large or small—to help in some way to make our world a better place in which to live.

The Apostle Paul said, “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known.”³ His priority was to spread the good news of the riches of the gospel message of Jesus Christ. To this he dedicated and gave his life.

I think just about all of us want to feel that our life has not been lived in vain—that we have made a difference in the world in which we live. When we come to the end of life’s journey and meet Jesus face to face, how terribly sad it would be if we have nothing to offer him but “leaves” as it was with the tree Jesus referred to in today’s scripture verse.

Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be that way. We start by setting priorities. Whatever comes first in our lives are our priorities. Let’s make sure that God and living for him is at the very top of our list of priorities, remembering that we serve God by serving people.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to set priorities that are in harmony with your will so that, when I meet you face to face, I will hear your welcome words, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.’ Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 21:19 (NIV).

2. Today in the Word, April 29, 2005.

3. Romans 15:20 (NIV).

“Motivational speaker Danny Cox tells about a ‘Broom Hilda’ cartoon in which her naive, innocent little friend Irwin puts on a long-tailed formal tuxedo jacket, picks up a conductor’s baton and walks into the woods alone.

“Irwin steps up on a fallen tree trunk and begins to wave his arms as if to conduct. There are no musicians, only rocks, trees and flowers. Soon, musical notes pour from the rocks, trees and flowers and fill the panel.

“Finally, Irwin turns and confidently says to the reader, ‘It’s all in there; you just have to work at getting it out.’”²

Michelangelo, the great artist, said, “I saw the angel in the marble and chiseled until I set it free.” That, my friend, is what God wants to do for you and me. Every one of us has gifts, abilities, and talents that God wants us to see, develop, and use in some way (large or small) for the betterment of others and the enrichment of mankind. Remember that God has a place for you and what you have to offer—no matter how small or large your giftedness may be—in his work in your world. There are no exceptions to this rule!

As Irwin said, “It’s all in there. You just have to work at getting it out.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the gifts, abilities and talents you have given to me. Please help me to identify these, develop them and use them for serving you by helping others and therein help make my world a better place in which to live. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Corinthians 12:7 (NLT).

2. Seize the Day by Danny Cox and John Hoover, Career Press, Hawthorne, N.J., 1994, p. 81.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Every great and commanding moment in the annals of the world is the triumph of some enthusiasm.”

Enthusiasm is a wonderful gift but the type that doesn’t have deep roots can, when the trials of life seem overpowering, quickly fizzle out.

There’s another kind of enthusiasm that can survive the deepest trials of life and motivate great souls to soar above the winds of adversity to achieve noble and worthwhile goals.

The word “enthusiasm” itself comes from “en-theos.” “En” meaning “in” and “theos” meaning God. The word literally means “in God” or “inspired of God.”

Thus true enthusiasm is that which has its roots not in human inspiration but in God. This enthusiasm is available to all who genuinely want it when they seek God and his will for their life with all their heart.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to be so committed to you that I will find ‘the great enthusiasm of life’ that has its roots in you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Acts 18:24-27 (Paraphrase) (NLT).

Before I wrote a book, the task seemed impossible. “No way,” I said to myself, “that I could ever write a book.” A friend suggested I tackle it just one page at a time.

“Good idea,” I thought and that’s exactly what I did. Several years ago I wrote 365 daily devotionals hoping to get them published in a book—but little did I know that I would end up using these to get Daily Encounter started back in 1998 with just a handful of subscribers. I also wrote these messages just one at a time. And that’s how I still write Daily Encounter—just one at a time!

Are you facing a daunting task, a major responsibility, or just need to clean your garage. If it’s the latter, start in one corner and work your way around it in a clockwise pattern picking up one thing at a time and either store it in its proper place, put it in a pile to be given away, or throw it away.

Treat cleaning your house the same way, systematically tidying one room at a time. As you see one corner and then one room tidied, each of these successes will help keep you motivated. Just don’t jump all over the place or discouragement will quickly dampen your enthusiasm. Apply the same principle to any task you have to face. Do it one step at a time—one day at a time. As the old saying goes, “Inch by inch anything’s a cinch” to which a friend added, “but yard by yard it’s miles too hard.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to take care of today’s responsibilities one thing at a time and quit worrying about what I need to do tomorrow. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Isaiah 28:10.

Theodore Roosevelt said, “It’s not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of good deeds could have done better.

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena: Whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again…

“Who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause…

“Who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement…

“And who, at worst, if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

Every one of us has been given at least one talent; many have been given several. Regardless of whether we have one or many talents, what is important is to use well what God has given and entrusted to us and therewith give life our best shot.

Remember, too: “Only one life ’twill soon be past / Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, grant that I will so live today that when I stand before you face to face, I will hear your welcoming words, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.’ Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 25:21 (NIV).

How true it is, as someone (with tongue-in-cheek) said, “Blessed be he who aimeth at nothing for he shall surely hit it!” Or as another said, “Better to aim at the clouds and hit the tree tops than to aim at the tree tops and hit the ground.”

To have meaningful goals in life is to risk failure. Not to have any goals may keep one feeling safe and comfortable, but it is to guarantee failure. “Equally comfortable,” writes Peter Wagner, “is to define your goals in terms of what you happen to be doing at any given time. If you shoot first, then draw the target around the bullet hole, you’ll never miss the bull’s eye. If someone looks later, he might even call you a good marksman.” Then you can brag about your accomplishments!

But this is not success. It is allowing life to shape you rather than you shaping your life and deciding how you want to invest it.

True success is to discover what God’s purpose for your life is and then give life everything you’ve got to achieve that purpose.

Whatever that is, it’s not failure that is a crime, but to have such a low aim that there is no chance of failure. Or, as somebody else put it, “Not to have a goal is more to be feared than not reaching it.” If you tried and did your best, even if you failed to achieve all of your goal, you are already a success. All God requires is that we do our best.

Remember, however, if your goals are in harmony with God’s purpose for you, he has already equipped you with the wherewithal to be able to achieve them. It’s up to us to get well trained and learn how to effectively use these abilities. So, don’t waste your life. Invest it in a worthwhile God-given life purpose—a noble cause into which you can put your best efforts and be excited about it.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me the desire to find and the insight to discover my God-given life purpose and goals and, with your help, the courage and determination to pursue and reach them, and do so for your glory. May they always be in harmony with your will and be a part of what you are doing in the world today. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NIV).

Washington Irving is credited with having made the remark that “a barking dog is often more useful than a sleeping lion.” Another way of saying the same thing is that “the race is not always to the swift but to those who keep on running.”

One of the encouraging aspects about God is that you don’t have to be an expert or anything out of the ordinary for him to use you. God uses people just like you and me. Consider, for example, the men Jesus chose to be his disciples: a couple of fishermen, a despised tax gatherer, a traitor, and so on. They did, however, spend three years with Jesus, the Master Teacher to equip them for service.

Jesus himself didn’t attend college or seminary (or the equivalent in his day) but chose as his profession to be a carpenter as was his earthly father.

For God to use us, all we need to do is to be available and faithful to his calling. One of my daily prayers is: “Dear God, I’m available. Please make me usable and use me today to be as Christ to my family, to someone in need, and in some way to every life I touch.”

What a difference we Christians would make in our family, in our church, and in our world if every one of us would pray this prayer and mean it—every day!

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I’m available. Please make me usable and use me today to be as Christ to my family, to someone in need, and in some way to every life I touch. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Corinthians 1:26-28 (NIV).