A Call to Greatness

1 Kings 4:22-23 - Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, sixty measures of meal, Ten fat oxen, twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides harts, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl of choice kinds.

Have you ever stood in awe of someone. Have you ever thought, "Wow, to be that great!" Have you craved to have the success of someone else. If only I could be as good as ___________. If only I could accomplish what they have accomplished. If only I could make it to where they have. If only..... If only.... 

I spent some time this morning actually studying on 1 Kings 4:22-23. The word "provision" really caught my attention. I was astounded to read about what King Solomon needed for only ONE day, surely I could at least get to a fraction of that one day (a larger fraction than I currently contribute too...aka... us having provision for more than just our household).

Anyways... here are some of the numbers that I did the math on....

King Solomon needed for the Month:

• 310 fat oxen

• 620 cattle

• 3100 sheep

• 1 Cow = 1,600 servings of 4 ounces (1/4 pound)

• 1 Sheep = would feed 70.5 people at 1/2 pound serving each.

• 1 Ox = approx. same as 1 cow (maybe a bit more since it was a fattened ox) 

• 10 fattened oxen = 16,000 servings of 4 ounces

• 20 cattle = 32,000 servings of 4 ounces

• 100 sheep = 14,100 servings of 4 ounces

• Grand TOTAL: 62,100 servings of 4 ounces/day OR 31,050 servings of 8 ounces/day.

SO... IN ONE DAY.... How many people was King Solomon feeding.... well, let's just look at some of the numbers. 

According to WebMD, averaging out men (56 grams) and women (46 grams), we should get about 50 grams of protein/day. That is equivalent to 8 ounces of meat. 

SO... if all the meat alone was used for taking care of King Solomon's household (I'm sure maybe some of the cattle was allotted towards milk... but let's just say it was all for eating), King Solomon was given that provision to feed HIS household of 31,050 people PER DAY! That is pretty amazing!

I got to thinking... "Wow...if I could only be a fraction of that great. That would be pretty neat." I could not even fathom how great King Solomon was. As I sat and thought, I couldn't even fathom the great responsibility he had. Then, as always, the Holy Spirit was quick to correct me. 

His responsibility was extremely great and totally different than yours. A few things to consider... EACH has a different calling in life. Do your best not to compare your calling to someone else's. I have put seeds of greatness in everyone. YOUR gifts are different than the next person. YOUR goal should be to MAXIMIZE your OWN gifts & calling. It should NEVER be; "to be as good as ________," or "to accomplish as much as _____________." What if MY desire is for you to accomplish more than say ________________. If you set your goal merely on where you see them today and where you want to be today, you will miss it! You will miss my best. Focus on MY best. Focus on MY calling for your life!!

As we look at the greatness of King Solomon, we may have never desired to be "that" great. But... what about your neighbor? Your boss? The Joneses? Your best friend? Your uncle? A business associate? Are your sights on what they have accomplished? I challenge you today, reset your sights. Set your sights on what GOD would have you accomplish with your life? He did say in Ephesians 4:20 that He, is at work within us, is able to carry out His purpose and do superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams. 

Today.... allow your imagination to run! Can you focus on the calling God has for YOU to accomplish.  Because if you can, your highest prayers, desires & dreams can come to pass on this earth. He would not have placed them in your heart if they couldn't. YOU, my friend, were called to greatness! Your job? Seek HIM and find out exactly how you should accomplish the assignment that HE has set out for your life! 

"Little" is the Doorway to Much

Good Morning! I am still "out here." :) I know over the last 6 months, my 4 time/week blog has dwindled to maybe once per week....sometimes once per month. Well... let me just assure you... I'm still out here, and I am still spending daily time in the Word. I just wanted to let you know I haven't fallen off the deep end! :) It is an interesting and new season for me. I'm very excited about that, but at the same time, much change has been and continues to come. With a change of season requires a change in activities, schedule and a continual reevaluation that I am indeed on the right track. My goal, as I'm sure yours is, is to not miss ANYTHING the Lord has for me. Thankfully my husband has "cast me onto the Lord" (which he did a long time ago, PRAISE THE LORD!) and allows me and the Lord to work out what "AMY" needs to be doing.


Anyways... with all of that said. I believe I have a good Word for you today. The Lord continues to give me incites as I dig into His Word. It is so good! Constantly new.


Let's dive in...

Psalm 40:5,6b - Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; no one can compare with You! If I should declare and speak of them, they are too many to be numbered....You have given me the capacity to hear and obey...

God's thoughts towards you. Did you know that they are HUGE! Did you know that as the SON or DAUGHTER of the Most High God, that His Plans for you are great! The "greatness" or "legacy" that you leave here on this earth are in direct proportion to your ability to hear and obey. What could that mean? Maybe that means "hearing once" and fulfilling one specific calling with greatness. Maybe that means "hearing daily" and accomplishing a lot in many venues.


In Psalm 40:5, it talks about God's thoughts towards us being too many to be numbered. Imagine a room filled with all the things that you are suppose to accomplish. Maybe it's developing witty inventions, as Proverbs 8:12 says. Imagine in this room, there are shelves full of your inventions. Great inventions, not just one, but MANY. Really, cool, great ideas, just sitting there on the shelves. Multi-million dollar products. Products and inventions that really help people. Just think about peanut butter alone. George Washington Carver invented peanut butter in 1876, and went on do invent 300 other products using the peanut. A devout Christian, Carver considered his laboratory "God's Little Workshop." Maybe in your "room" there are books that you have written, great books. Maybe there are products you have sold. Business' you have started. Engineering firm, photography business, a marketing company you've expanded, a restaurant or chain of restaurants. Maybe it's a dessert you've made famous, or a sauce? Maybe it's your artwork, work and designs that are so exceptional that they are known worldwide for how extraordinary they are. What is in your room? God's thoughts of you are too many to be numbered. That includes that great plans He has for you! His plans for you are for you to prosper! (Ps 1:3, 35:27, Proverbs 16:3, 16:9) There are SO many places that talk about how the Lord's plans for YOU, as His child, are for YOU to SUCCEED!!!!! For YOU to WIN! For YOU to be PROSPEROUS! Healthy! Wise! Wealthy! Third John 1 verse 2, Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.


THE KEY HERE? Psalm 40:6b. You have the CAPACITY to HEAR AND OBEY! If you don't feel like you have been able to "HEAR" the direction or Voice of God (the Holy Spirit)... then guess what? That hearing ear can be developed! You can begin the process of practicing to listen! You will be amazed that as you pursue God, as you seek out Him & His treasures, He WILL make Himself known to you! Your life, your direction, your calling does not have to be a mystery to you! It is not suppose to be a mystery! He has HIDDEN TREASURES for YOU! They are HIDDEN for YOU to find them! They are HIDDEN from the enemy FOR YOU! But you have to seek them out, listen and obey! 


So... in your room.... in this room that has "all God has for you".... what is going to come to fruition here on the earth that is in YOUR ROOM? Are all the inventions, business', churches that you help build, books that you write....are they going to be left on the shelves? Or are they going to come to fruition here on earth? I believe that your capacity to RECEIVE those inventions, ideas, successes are based upon your ability to be obedient with the FIRST ONE! If you don't take the first idea, or the first business or the first book and do anything with it, WHY would God give you the next one? When you have not been faithful with the little, the ONE, why would he give you the rest of the AWESOME ideas? 


It begins with 2 things. Listening & Obeying. 


Can you do that today? Can you Listen? Can you obey? Can you take the first step to being obedient to what God has called you to pursue? Just like the story we've heard many times. The servant who was faithful with little, was given much. 


Servant. Child of the Most High God. Will you be faithful with the little He is trying to give you today? That "little" that you are faithful to is the doorway to much. Will you be faithful?