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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life Issue #380 January 11, 2002 Different Ways Most of you probably don’t know (and probably don’t care) that I never prepare Gleanings in advance. I have a stack of scraps of paper where ideas have been written down that I may use at some point or another. There are also always a few Gleanings floating around in my head waiting to be formed. However, when it comes to actually writing them, I wait until the morning and then see what God puts on my heart to write. Some mornings, it is a snap. I wake up at five and God has given the Gleanings to me and all I have to do is type it. Other days, I draw on the reserve of scrap paper ideas. Still others, I hunt through the Bible until the Scripture I’m supposed to use pops out. There are days when I work from Scripture to illustration. There are days when I work from illustration to Scripture. Still other days I sit and pray, and think, and check my email and do it over and over again until I finally have what I believe God wants me to write. Sometimes I’ll have Gleanings written and I’m very happy with it, but God says, "That’s not what I want you to write" and I start over again. By now you’re probably wondering why I’m droning on about writing Gleanings and beginning to question where the application is to your life. I’m getting there. There are many ways of doing Christian ministry, different ways of doing the same kind of ministry. Even with devotionals, there are different styles to meet different needs. I suppose I could write a bunch up in advance, but for me that doesn’t feel like what God has called me to do. There is nothing wrong with preparing them in advance, many wonderful devotionals on the web and in print are prepared as much as two years in advance. Others use material that is hundreds of years old. It’s just not the way God called me to write Gleanings. The secret to ministry and life is to be talking with God and allowing Him to lead through easy times and tough times. Just because someone does it one way and you do it another doesn’t make one way better than another. You could both be right if you’re following His leading. You could both be wrong if you’re not. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 NIV Be careful of condemning others for doing things differently than you do. Be open and receptive to criticism from others about how you do things, but trust in God’s leading. Until next time may you be quick to subject your own life and ministry to Holy Spirit’s scrutiny and leading and slow to condemn those who do it differently. God bless. Kevin To share your thoughts on this issue of Gleanings, or to share prayer concerns email us at corbin_writer@hotmail.com. or write us at : Gleanings From The Word, 114 Oak Street, Sherwood Park, AB, Canada, T8A 0V8 At Gleanings, we have a dedicated team of prayer warriors and all prayer concerns are kept strictly confidential. If you enjoyed this issue of Gleanings From The Word, email it, in its entirety, to a friend. For information on use of Gleanings in your church newsletter or other situations please visit the permissions page on our website
 © 2001 K.F. "Kevin" Corbin All Rights Reserved SUBSCRIBE TO GLEANINGS FOR FREE
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