Theme for Camp Whitetail

Prepare Yourself

2 Timothy 2:15

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

 

 

 

 

Prepare Yourself!

Prepare Yourself! God calls us to be prepared to serve him. But what do you have to be prepared for? Let's take a look at the lives of men who were called to serve God (some willing and some not so willing). One thing I think you'll find is that serving God is certainly not boring! Are you prepared for what these men faced? See if you can name these men whose stories are found in God's Word.

 

The Quiz

Below are ten descriptions of men of God. See if you can name these men just by the descriptions provided. When you think you know, click on "What is his name?" for the answer. And be sure to read the full story on these men by using the scripture provided.

1. He was a farmer not a warrior or leader. His clan (family) was the weakest in the tribe and he was the youngest in his family. He wasn't the type you'd normally pick to be a leader. He asked God repeatedly to give him signs that God was really going to be with him and help him. Despite his background and despite his lack of confidence God chose him to be a leader! With an army of 300 men and following some very curious instructions from the Lord he defeated an army of thousands.

What is his name?

 

2. His older brothers really disliked him because dad seemed to treat him better than them. His life took a nosedive when his brothers sold him into slavery. He had to grow up apart from his family in a foreign country. Just when things were starting to look up he ended up in jail because someone lied about him. God used all these terrible circumstances to place him in a position where he could save his family from starvation.

What is his name?

 

3. He had it made as the son of a wealthy landowner. He was out supervising a farming work crew when his life took a dramatic change. A prophet came along and threw his coat on him and that's all it took for him to decide to give up his life of luxury. Like his new teacher he became a great prophet. One time his enemies had him completely surrounded and everything looked pretty hopeless. His friends couldn't figure out why he was so cool about the situation. He prayed that the Lord would open his friend's eyes and the Lord did just that, and they saw a fiery army protecting them.

What is his name?

 

4. This prophet got a special call from God to help save a city that was on the road to destruction. Rather than do what God asked he ran the other direction — out to sea. But God didn't let him stay at sea for long and after an interesting adventure that involved being swallowed and spit out, he finally did the job he was asked to do. He was a great speaker and the people of the city listened and you would think he'd be happy but it kind of bummed him out 'cause he wanted God to give them what they deserved. I don't know about you but I sure am glad that God is quick to forgive us if we ask him.

What is his name?

 

5. I don't think there is anyone who suffered as much in this world (with the exception of Jesus) than this man. Except for his own life and the life of his spouse he lost everything — his cattle, camels, sheep, buildings, servants and ten children. His adventure was not conquering enemies on the battlefield or calling on thousands of people to repent from their sins, but it was one of long conversations with his friends and with God about why his life was filled with tragedy. The story does have a happy ending though — really!

What is his name?

 

6. This man had a good career going as a fisherman before Jesus came along and changed everything. He was the kind of person that you wanted to have on your side in a fight because he was bold and daring, but he also made you a bit nervous because he had a tendency to talk before he thought things through. Jesus loved him and used his boldness to help start his church here on earth. He was "the Rock."

What is his name?

 

7. This person had everything going for him — everything that is except being forcibly taken from his home as a teenager and brought to a foreign land where he would spend the rest of his life. He was hand picked to be trained by the nobility of this foreign land because he was a "young man without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace." You may wonder why the Lord would let such a talented person be taken away from the people and home he loved, but despite being in a foreign land he remained faithful to his God (even at the risk of being eaten by lions) and God used him as a governor of this land to greatly benefit the people of his homeland.

What is his name?

 

8. The apostles had a problem with this new church they were starting. There was some grumbling among the members that some of the needy members of the church weren't being taken care of like they should. They needed deacons to oversee the distribution of church offerings and gifts so that everyone was cared for. The first person they picked was this man — "full of faith and the Holy Spirit." Not only did he take care of the job as deacon but he also preached and did miracles — a great witness for the early Christian church. Unfortunately there were some leaders of the Jewish community who didn't like his testimony about Jesus so they came up with some people who were willing to lie about him in a religious court. This man ended up losing his life for his faith, but right to the very end, he was a witness to God's love and power. As he was being killed he asked the Lord not to hold this sin against those were committing this terrible act against him.

What is his name?

 

9. This person would stand on the street corners and in the public squares of local villages and tell his fellow Jews that they better shape up and be faithful to their God. He called the people "a brood of evildoers" and "children given to corruption" and that they would suffer greatly if they didn't change their ways. This message didn't exactly make him a popular person, but he was only telling the truth as God instructed him. But his message wasn't only one of doom and gloom. He also gave them hope. He promised that forgiveness was real and that their sins could be taken away by believing in the promise of a "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

What is his name?

 

10. If you met this man today you would probably say he was crazy. He certainly could have lived a nice life, following in the footsteps of his father, a respected high priest, but he was called by God to live in the desert where he made his clothes out of camel's hair (sounds itchy to me) and the menu for dinner almost every night included locusts (big grasshoppers). He had a job to do — preparing the people for Jesus' ministry. Despite appearing a little crazy the Jewish people went out into the desert to listen to what he had to say and many of them understood that they needed a savior and asked this man to baptize them as a sign that they were sorry for their sins and were ready for the coming Messiah.

What is his name?

 

Serving God

The truth about being ready to serve God is that, like many of the men above, it may seem like you don't have all the right skills, or you aren't in the right place, or the situation seems hopeless, or that God can't possibly be asking you to do this task but the key to being prepared is just walking with God. These were men of faith. They trusted God to give them what they needed. Being a man of faith means reading God's Word, praying, being in fellowship with other believers and expecting God to show you what He wants you to do. Remember, you are not going it alone! God is right there with us and God likes to show how powerful He is by making you a master at something you were never good at before. Life is exciting when God is in control. You never know where He may lead you.