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Musical talent is not a spiritual gift. It is a gift from God, but it's different from a spiritual gift as outlined in Paul's epistles. How one worships using music may or may not be an indication of one's spritual gifting, but the mere ability to play and/or sing — even the deepest musical sensitivity — is not in and of itself a spiritual gift. If it were, every talented musician would be spiritually gifted, and I know from experience that is not the case. May 19, 2005 — My personal meditations continue from here on a daily (more or less) basis... Isa 37: Hezekiah spreads out Sennacherib's (meaning: "Sin [the name of the Assyrian god] sends many brothers) threatening letter before the Lord and prays for the salvation of Israel from the hand of Assyria. Sin had, in fact, sent an army of 200,000 to besiege Israel. O God, when sin besets me, give me the presence of mind and wherewithal to lay the facts of the case before You. You alone are God enthroned between the cherubim. You alone are the One True God. Naturally the enemy has his way with these other lands who worship gods made of wood and stone (and flesh and blood). These gods can't help those who worship them. Only You can send Your angel to slay the 185,000 and put sin to flight. Only You can meet me where I am and help me out of this mire. Lord, here is where sin besieges me. These are the places where the enemy would entangle and encumber me. I lay these things out before You and ask for Your deliverance. Listen to me, O Lord and hear! Open Your eyes, O Lord and see! Listen to the enemy's words of defiance against the Living God and rescue me from his power. Amen. May 20, 2005 — Going up Highway 5 toward Rose Bud I had the opportunity to follow a very wide (double-wide?) mobile home for several agonizing miles. It averaged about 40 miles per hour and took up not only our lane but half the oncoming lane as well, so that oncoming traffic had to swerve over to the shoulder to avoid sideswiping it. I had to find the opportunity to pass not only the trailer but its two escort vehicles — one in front and one behind — so it didn't take long for my patience to wear thin. It also didn't take long for the traffic behind me to string out as far as my rear-view mirror could see. I finally did get around them, just in time for the mobile home to encounter yet another double-wide parked on the side. As I looked in the mirror behind me all I saw was a road full of trailers, escort vehicles and snarled traffic. O God,
yes, make me a more patient driver, but beyond that, save me from dragging
down those who have to follow behind me. I don't want to be the reason
my children grow impatient and land in a ditch. Help me lay aside the
encumbrances that slow me down. Am I leading the way for them or am I
simply an obstacle to be overcome? Amen.
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