“Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.” (Luke 12:42-44 NIV)

“Everything has been thought of before, the problem is to think of it again”.  (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1749–1832).

Jedidiah Morse was born in Connecticut in 1761 and graduated in 1783 from Yale where he had first publicly professed his Christian faith.  Thereafter he taught school and studied theology. He was equally significant, however, for his leadership in New England Congregationalism.  Pastor Morse had one more lasting claim to fame – he fathered Samuel F.B. Morse, born in 1791.

Young Samuel Morse studied painting and sculpture, achieving some fame in those fields. At about that time he became interested in chemical and electrical experiments and developed apparatus for an electromagnetic telegraph that he completed in 1836.  He also invented a code, a system of dots and dashes, now known as the Morse code, for use with his telegraph instrument.  

May 24th has particular significance.  On that date in1844 Morse tapped out his first coded message, sent from Washington D.C. to Baltimore, Maryland, a message that reflects his Christian upbringing and perhaps his wonder and the possibilities of this new technology: the message simply said “What Hath God Wrought”   That quote is taken from Numbers 23:23, referring to divination and an insight into the future.  Morse’s insight served him well as his system of code was used  for over 150 years, until 1999.

God has given everyone special abilities.  God wants us to use them for his glory. Think about your special talents and abilities and the ways you could use them for God’s work in the world. All human accomplishments will one day disappear, and we must keep this in mind in order to live wisely. If we don’t, we can become either proud and self-sufficient when we succeed or sorely disappointed when we fail. 

I wonder how we would react if we stumbled across something, the germ of an idea, that developed into an invention that took the world by storm?  The fact is that in these times of advancing technology, new ideas are almost a daily occurrence, first radio, then television, computers, mobile phones, internet, facebook, twitter – invented by young bloods with remarkable initiative and talent – where will it all end?  But of course there will always be new initiatives.

‘What Has God Wrought’  God has created people with abilities.  Our heart needs to be right with God before we can expect to be granted such abilities, not for reasons of self-aggrandizement but as ways to serve the Lord.  

Have a good and productive week, Pastor Ron Clarke

Optional Bible reading: Luke 12:35-48.

This is one of a series of weekly messages of encouragement, now in its twenty-sixth year, originating from Gympie, Fraser Coast, Queensland, Australia. A companion Bible study page is available each week. To subscribe via email send here with the words ‘Subscribe Word (or) Subscribe Word & Study’. Our ministry is free and emailing lists are confidential. Tell a friend or why not put a note in your church newsletter or pew sheet about this ministry – we welcome new subscriptions.

Pastor Ron Clarke OAM Word for the Week Mbl.: +61 488 424 321