I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Friday morning, the 22nd of August 2025, and this is your friend,  Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We start in the Book of Genesis 47:3:

“Then Pharaoh said to his brothers (Joseph’s brothers), “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers.”

Then verse 6:

"And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.”

We need not to despise our occupation or our profession. If you are a doctor, be the best doctor you can be for Jesus. I have heard of doctors who have gone into rural areas where people are struggling with their eyes, and all it is, is cataracts. They take those cataracts out of the eyes, (apparently, it is not a major operation) and all of a sudden, people who were basically blind, can see. That is a sermon that has got more power and impact than any preaching I have ever heard. The people just want to know, “Who is your God, because we want to serve Him.” Use your occupation or your profession for the advantage of telling people about Jesus.

I want to tell you about one of my best friends. He lives in Zambia. His name is Brian Oldridge. Now, Brian has got more invitations to go around the world preaching than any evangelist I know of, and what does he do? He shows people how to grow food, especially when they don’t have tractors and they don’t have fancy implements - just by using a mere hoe, and just the very basic giftings that God has given to each one of us and He is so popular and of course, that is his in-road to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

What was Jesus? What was His occupation? Yes, He was a carpenter. He was not a great internationally famous evangelist, He was a carpenter. Oh, but what a carpenter! What was Paul? He was a tent-maker by occupation. What was Peter? Peter was a fisherman by trade. I heard someone say, “Preach the Gospel with all your heart and if you really have to, then use words.” Preach the Gospel using your profession, your talent, your gifting from God, and that will open a door for you to tell people about your beloved Saviour. 

Jesus bless you and goodbye.