Press the arrow to see visually what Jeremiah wrote on paper. It will make today’s devotion about seeing potential come alive.

Scripture
I have made you a tester of metals,
that you may determine the quality of my people. Jeremiah 6:27

Observation
One great gift God can give to a leader is the ability to see the potential in others. This perception is to see people not just as they are but as they could be. It includes an ability to see in them what they cannot see in themselves. And certainly it is the capacity to discern potential before everyone else can spot it.

Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about the work of an assayer, or tester of metals:

An assayer is a person who tests ores and minerals and analyzes them to determine their composition and value. They may use chemical solutions, and chemical or laboratory equipment, such as furnaces, beakers, graduates, pipettes, and crucibles. An assayer separates metals or other components from dross materials by solution, flotation process, or other liquid processes, or by dry methods, such as application of heat….

That sounds just like the work of a preacher-leader. How does he spot potential in people? By how they respond to God’s word. Jeremiah the prophet was a preacher, and a preacher can see best what is in human hearts. By speaking God’s word and watching the response, a pastor can see whether a person is teachable or not.

The work of a pastor is not just to talk, but to develop the potential of people. That must motivate everything that he does. That is my call today.

Prayer
Father, there is so much potential that swirls around me everyday. Please give me the ability to perceive it and know where it best fits. Amen.