Character Counts
August 18, 2026
Scripture Of The Day
I will… make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. Genesis 12:2 NKJV
By Cheryl Henderson
George spent his early years shuffled between foster homes till one day, Maria Watkins, a childless washwoman, found him sleeping in her barn. She didn’t just take him in; she took him to church and introduced him to Jesus. When he eventually left her home, he took the Bible she had given him with him. Maria left her mark on his life, and George Washington Carver left his mark on the world. This father of modern agriculture was a friend to 3 Presidents, as well as Henry Ford and Gandhi. He’s credited with over 300 inventions.
And the remarkable thing is, despite his early disadvantages, this orphaned boy never became bitter or spent so much as a minute trying to get even. Instead, when he went into his lab each morning, he prayed, ”Lord, open my eyes that I may see.” (Read Psalm 119:18) How could God fail to bless someone with that attitude?
A great challenge requires great maturity, so God takes the time necessary to develop our character to match the assignment. After telling Abraham, “I will… make your name great,” it took another 25 years of testing before God entrusted him with the son through whom He would establish a nation.
So, if you are waiting for “the call,” perhaps God isn’t saying no—perhaps He is saying, “Not yet.” He may be using this season to prepare your character for the assignment ahead. Sometimes God has to make us bigger on the inside before He can entrust us with something bigger on the outside.