DAILY WORD THURSDAY 23 JULY 2009 

"Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best."
– Henry Van Dyke 

Each and every one of us has God given talents, but often we don’t use them because we compare ourselves with others and feel inferior. 

God doesn’t want us to compare ourselves with others for the simple reason that each of us is His personal handiwork, a masterpiece in the making, and each of us have been created with something totally individual, with which to be a blessing to the world around us. 

Yes we can look to one another for encouragement and Godly examples for living, but when we start to look at other people for our value, or other people start to make us feel unworthy and inferior then something is wrong. Gods Word tells us that He is the author and finisher of our faith, not man and his opinions. 

God has given us the Holy Spirit, and His working in our lives is motivated and carried out in love and acceptance, never criticism and condemnation. 

So today just yield to the beauty of Gods love and the direction of the Holy Spirit and don’t be intimidated by the other ‘birds in the tree’ open your mouth and ‘sing’! 

Stay fervently focused,

Much love, 

Chrissy 

About Henry Van Dyke

Henry Van Dyke, the American clergyman and author, is best known for the Christmas story, "The Other Wise Man." He was born in Pennsylvania in 1852. He was pastor of the Brick Presbyterian Church in New York, taught literature at Princeton, and was U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands. His love of nature influenced his spirituality, and he fought to preserve Yellowstone Park. He wrote poetry and essays as well as fiction. Helen Keller called him an architect of happiness. He died in 1933.