Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional “The Chipped Cup” for Monday, 1 December 2014 - Scripture: Exodus 4:10-12

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional “The Chipped Cup” for Monday, 1 December 2014 - Scripture: Exodus 4:10 Moses raised another objection to God: “Master, please, I don’t talk well. I’ve never been good with words, neither before nor after you spoke to me. I stutter and stammer.”
11-12 God said, “And who do you think made the human mouth? And who makes some mute, some deaf, some sighted, some blind? Isn’t it I, God? So, get going. I’ll be right there with you—with your mouth! I’ll be right there to teach you what to say.”
We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.[Romans 12:6 (NRSV)]
Recently my wife and I were going through some old dishes to decide which were suitable to give away and which were unsalvageable. At one point, when I rescued a cup that had a large chip in the rim, she looked surprised. “It’s my favorite cup,” I told her. “It reminds me that we can be flawed but still useful.”
Throughout history, God has used people who were less than perfect. Moses was “slow of speech and tongue” (NIV). Rahab was a prostitute. David committed adultery with Bathsheba, then arranged to have her husband die in battle. Peter denied Jesus three times.
I also have many weaknesses and imperfections. And as I near retirement I am beginning to feel my age. My eyesight, hearing, and memory aren’t what they used to be, and the aches and pains are growing more frequent. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be useful. I can go into an uncertain future with confidence in my ability to keep serving the Lord because I know that God will be there with me.
Read more from the author, here.
"Retirement"
I retired a few months after I submitted today’s devotion. I have found that retirement has both its rewards and challenges, but mostly the
experience has been very positive.
I spent most of my career at arboretums and botanical gardens, working either as a curator or administrator. My last position was as director of a university field station. I feel fortunate to have spent all my working years at beautiful places. Nature was always just outside the door!

One of the blessings of retirement is the opportunity to work on projects you didn’t have time to do previously. I am currently writing a book about the native shrubs and vines of the state where I live. My co-author is a colleague who I first worked with on another book 30 years ago.
My wife and I will be moving to a small college town next year. We look forward to being closer to our children and meeting new people through the church and community. We are not sure what the future will bring, but we are confident that God will be with us, guiding us along the way.
And, yes, we still have the chipped cup. My wife lets me use it most of the time, perhaps to remind me I’m far from perfect![Peter van der Linden]
The Author: Peter J. van der Linden (Iowa, USA)
Thought for the Day: We don’t have to be perfect to be useful to God.
Prayer: Dear Lord, remind us that we can be useful in serving you despite our flaws. Amen.
Prayer focus: People nearing retirement
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