The Rand Inn

DAY 18

Then God said, "Let us make man in Our image, in Our likeness...." (Genesis 1:26a).

Not only are all things composed of that from which they came, they must also remain attached to that source in order to live. All things must maintained and sustained by where they came from. The minute a plant is pulled out of the soil, it dies. The minute you take a fish out of water, it dies.
Thus, whatever God created came from that to which He spoke. All things were created by God's word to a source. The source of creation also becomes, then, the essence of that creation. All things are composed of whatever they came from and hence contain the potential of that source. That means plants only have the potential of the soil. If the soil is rich, then the plant has the potential to be well nourished and grow bigger.
So God created man in His own image, in the image of God, He created him; male and female He created them (Genesis 1:27).
God created you by speaking to Himself. You came out of God and thus bear His image and likeness.

DAY 16

All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16b).

God looked at Adam and saw a world. He looked at Abraham and saw nations. In Jacob, a deceiver, He saw a Messiah. In Moses a murderer, God saw a deliverer.
God saw a king in a shepherd boy. When the Israelites wanted a king, God sent Samuel to the home of Jesse. After Jesse had paraded all of his sons before Samuel, he asked, "Do you have any other sons?"
Jesse said, "No, well, yes, I do have a boy, just a little runt who's taking care of the sheep."
"Bring him," Samuel said. Notice that God chose the son who was working. God chooses busy people.
Most of us are like Jesse. We look, but we don't see. Are you the "black sheep" in your family? (You know God likes sheep.) Has your family told you that you are a nobody? Have you been told so many times that you will amount to nothing, that you have begun to believe it? You are the one that God is waiting for.
Have you been trying to prove that you are somebody, and still feel like a nobody? Be free from that today. You are loved, You are chosen.

DAY 7

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us (Romans 12:6a).

Perhaps you are wasting your life doing nothing with all you have. God packaged some things in you for the good of the world - use them. We will never know the wealth God planted in you until you bring it up. There's always something in you that we haven't yet seen because that's the way God thinks. Release your ability before you die. Use the power and strength within you for the good of yourself and others. I believe there are books, songs, works of art, businesses, poems, inventions, and investments in you that God intended for His children to enjoy.
Don't give up until you have lived out the full extent of your potential, because you have no right to die with our things. Don't rob the next generation of the wealth, treasure, and tremendous gifts buried deep within you.
If you want to succeed, strike out on new paths. Don't travel the worn paths of accepted success. No-one can climb beyond the limitations of his own beliefs. Every day sends to the grave obscure men and women whom fear prevented from realizing their true and full potential.