Ready When He Reaches

Growing Daily

Ready When He Reaches

Do you have a kitchen junk drawer? Mine is overflowing with all sorts of odds and ends, especially a jumble of pens and pencils. But when I most need to jot down a note, I rarely find one that works! The markers are dry, the pencils are broken, and the pens just scratch at the paper. By the time I scribble enough to coax out the ink, I’ve forgotten what I meant to write.

I wonder if God sometimes feels like this when He reaches for us. The drawer seems full of likely candidates, but when the time comes to speak, we’ve dried out, become dulled, or the words just won’t flow.

Scripture reminds us, “if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it” (1 Peter 3:15). “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone” (Colossians 4:6). “Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not” (2 Timothy 4:2), trusting that the Spirit will give us the words (Matthew 10:19–20).

Instead of staying tucked away, let’s continually seek to be filled with the Spirit, sharpened by God’s Word, and willing to speak. A prayerful life and a ready heart keep the ink flowing—so that when God reaches for us, He can use us.


- Catherine Reid