Like a drop in the bucket or single brick among many in a large wall, the individual significance of each one can be lost when looking at the big picture.

Without each and every one, the bucket would never be full and the wall wouldn’t even exist.

To the observant eye and the sensitive heart, is it not the missing tooth or the empty seat that draws the attention?

Just as there is a place and a function for each every brick in the wall or drop in the bucket, the plan of God has a specific place (1Cor. 12: 18) and a specific function (1Cor. 12: 11) for each and every born again believer of the Church Age.

While some of the parts receive more of the attention, without the contribution that each one makes, the productivity would be greatly reduced and may even cease to exist.

If the $2.00 valve stems on an $80,000 automobile were to fail, the proud owner would come out only to find four flats and a vehicle that he cannot use.

The place and function that God has in mind for each one of us is not primarily for our own benefit, but for the benefit of others (1Cor. 12: 7).

These others are the ones whose paths, by divine appointment, that we cross each and every day.

In the case of the unbelievers whose paths we cross, we possess the Gospel Message that they need to hear in order for them to have the opportunity to be saved.

In the case of fellow-believers whose paths we cross, they and we have principles of doctrine that they and we need to hear for our mutual edification and encouragement.

In both scenarios, there is always a need for some type of practical service (Matt. 25: 36/James 2: 15). These deeds of practical service are often what God will use to provide the opportunity for the advancing disciple to either evangelize an unbeliever, or edify a fellow believer.

The place and function that God has in mind may or may not be the ones that we would choose for ourselves. We may have doubts about our abilities (Exodus 4: 10). We may not even want the job (Jonah 1: 3).

Such arguments fall on deaf ears of the One who makes these choices and provides all (John 15: 5/Phil 4: 19) that one needs to carry them out.

The place and function that God has in mind may or may not necessarily be the one that our parents, pastor, friends, peers, or closest advisers have in mind (2 Sam. 7: 3).

The place and function that God has in mind may (Luke 1: 31) or may not (Matt. 28: 19, 20) immediately be made known.

But once it becomes known, God has a whale of an idea (Jonah 1: 17) in mind if we deliberately choose to do otherwise.

More than once I have pursued a place or function only to discover that it was not the place or the function that God had in mind. Such things were/are what God has in mind for others, but not what He has in mind for me.

After engaging in such endeavors, God has always brought me back to an environment of solitude where I can study and write in order for me to do the work that He has in mind.

David sincerely desired to build a temple for God, but it was to be the future work of Solomon (1Chron. 17: 1, 4, 12).

In the parable of (Matt. 25: 15) the master gave each servant different amounts of coins to work with according to their individual abilities while the master was away. When the master returned, each servant was rewarded (Matt. 25: 21, 23) or reprimanded (Matt. 25: 26, 27) on the basis of what each one did with what each one had been given.

Many of us are here to be the ones working behind the scenes supporting the ones God has chosen for the more public functions (Matt. 10: 41, 42) with our time, treasures, and talents.

Jesus taught the greatest ones among us are the ones who serve the others (Matt. 23: 11).

There is no such thing as something only being a drop in the bucket when that is what God wants done (Zech.4:10).