what i'm learning.

i'm going to start blogging what I'm thinking and feeling, and what God is teaching me through my quiet times. i haven't had many quiet times of late, and i hope that you all can keep me accountable to have them.
anyway today i was reading 1 Chron 21 and there were a few things that stood out to me, but first let me give an overview. this is the chapter in which David takes a census against the will of God, Israel reaps the judgment of his sin, and David turns back to God by buying a fields and offering sacrifices to God on it.
the first thing that caught my attention is in verse one which says,

"Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census."

Satan loves to bring down things that are doing well and Giving glory to God. One classic example of this is The Fall of Adam and Eve. Satan "rose up" against them and led them into sin. what was their sin? well amongst a plethora of other sins, there was pride. this is the same sin he led David to. Satan knew that God's people were enjoying relationship with him, were enjoying protection from enemies and were enjoying prosperity, and this was bringing glory to God, to the point where their enemies didn't want to fight them because they knew that God was on their side. this is glorifying God-- when even your enemies don't want to get near you. any way, David grew in pride in HIS achievements. Satan roe up and whispered into his ear, "look what you've made, God was there for sure, but YOU made this kingdom what it is!" David sufficiently brown nosed, and having his pride activated, said TO HIMSELF "I'll take a census to see what I've done!" Satan's plan had worked. Now David had a choice in what he did, he didn't have to take the census. if he'd moved in humility, he'd have seen what God had done in the kingdom of Israel and realised his small part of availability but he was caught by Satan's sweet words and allowed himself to be led instead of being the leader that God had made him to be.

God Even Uses Me!

It’s amazing how God uses people. He even uses those who seem insignificant and those who don't stand out from the Crowd. People like me. And you.
Have you ever heard of a Guy named Salma? Probably not and neither had I until this morning. He’s mentioned in a long list of names in the start of 1 Chronicles. He was the Grandson of Caleb, who was the grandson of Judah, who was the Grandson of Abraham. I think (correct me if I'm wrong) that makes him the Great, Great, Great, Great Grandson of Abraham who was the Father of the Israelite nation.
He was also the founder of Bethlehem, the first person in history to ever set foot in the town in which one day Jesus our Saviour would be born. I don't know why this stood out to me except to say that it does not matter how ordinary I see myself, and it does not matter if I think what I’m doing is insignificant and small and will not make any major effect on history, the truth is that it can! God chose to use Salma to build Bethlehem because he already knew that's where he wanted his Son to be born.

God has us where he wants us. He's using us in the every-day things that we say and do. I'm sure Salma didn’t think "this city is going to be such a ministry to people!" he was probably thinking this looks like a good place for me and my family to settle, I think I'll call it Bethlehem because there's a really Great bakery here!" (Bethlehem means "house of Bread")
Sometimes I don't feel like God can use me. I feel like I’m just doing the stuff a Christian should do. But even in those moments, God is taking me and using me in his plan.