Keeping an Appointment

Keeping an Appointment

September 14, 2008

Abraham Lincoln had a heavenly appointment in the last five years of his life. All the years prior to this were years of preparation. He was a gift from our Heavenly Father to a whole nation that was torn apart and doomed to self destruct.

The day he left Springfield, Illinois to move into the White House and begin his presidency , he said:

“…I now leave, not knowing when, or whether ever, I may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon (George) Washington. Without assistance of that Divine Being, who ever attended him, I cannot succeed. With that assistance I cannot fail. Trusting in Him, who can go with me, and remain with you and be every where for good, let us confidently hope that all will yet be well. To His care commending you, as I hope in your prayers you will commend me, I bid you an affectionate farewell.”

He was sensing God’s call on his life and was embracing it even though he knew it would be very difficult. Abraham Lincoln willingly stepped into an incredibly volatile and inflamed situation and was able to be God’s help. At the end of this five years, what he had done to fulfill that call resulted in a bullet to his head.

How are men like that prepared and made ready to fulfill a call God places on their life?

Simply, the Holy Spirit (Christ called Him our “Helper”) prepared him fully in the midst of many other hard places in His life. Mr. Lincoln had a lot of “shaping blows” from God’s forging hammer. His mother died when he was a boy…a business failure resulting in huge debts…He had repeated failures in his political life… two of his sons died…He struggled with severe episodes of depression…these setbacks would have devastated most people.

But these struggles were the very things God used to shape him ….through these he learned that unless God was his help, he didn’t have a chance.

Ephesians 2:16 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Have you considered that you also may have a “God appointment”? It may be a special call for a special season ahead for a whole group of people God has placed in your life?

Perhaps all the “life blows” you’ve been going through are shaping you (perfectly) for the God destiny of good works that He always intended for you to be privaledged to carry out for His glory?

You’re not just here haphazardly…you are called of God….and….

“faithful is He who has called you and He will also do it”.