I’ve been hungry for some time now but not for natural food as some might be.  This is a hunger for more of God, His word, and communion with Him.  He is my One and Only Savior and Peace.

I’ve been in the new testament studying the second book of Timothy in chapter 1 verse 5-7 for the last few days.  I found that I need to stir up the gift that God has given me.  Then I asked myself, how do I do that?  I prayed about it, asked God and continued to study.  I love it when the life in God’s word is revealed to me.  I find that most of the time that when I read through God’s word that the life or truth of it doesn’t always jump out at me or is revealed at that very minute.  Maybe it’s just me, not sure, but I find that I need to chew on the word of God, and sometimes for days and even weeks before I’ll receive the life or revelation of what my Jesus is giving me.

How do you stir up the gift that God has given you?  This might be a gift that you know you have used in the past but for some reason might have slowed down or discontinued practicing it.  You may even have a gift that you’ve never seen or used in your life before.  But the reasons for letting the gift go stagnant could be anything short of a distraction.  I’m sure we have many reasons but God is telling us now, to stir up the gift.  When a flowing river gets dammed up or jammed then the flow of it stops there.  It then becomes what I call the back waters.  The back waters is where stagnancy can occur.

We are responsible to stir up our gift.  I believe that what Paul was doing was trying to put Timothy in remembrance of the gift, in trying to stir it up in him.  I believe that remembrance is the beginning step of the stirring.  Don’t let the fire of your spiritual gift be snuffed.  I believe that if we begin practicing the gift of God that he’s given us that the stirring will only grow.  Paul spoke to Timothy in verse 7 saying “for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”.  By reading this passage we find that it seems that Paul knew something about Timothy.  Maybe he knew that Timothy was timid or hesitant in stepping out.  He’s encouraging us to not be fearful of the unknown or of others.  Let this gift be used out of love and of a sound mind.  Our Jesus has given us love and a sound mind.

I also believe that praying in the Spirit can stir up the gift.  Look at this in the book of Jude in the first and only chapter at verses 20 and 21 “Jud 1:20  But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit;
Jud 1:21  Guard and keep yourselves in the love of God; expect and patiently wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)–[which will bring you] unto life eternal.”.

So lets stir up the gift that our Lord Jesus has made possible that we should receive from Holy Spirit.  Let’s walk in faith and love, and not in fear.  Let’s move in the gift when God says move.  Let’s pray in the Holy Spirit more often.

He is so faithful.  Our only heavenly Father is so faithful and His love for us is so great.