Wherever you go today, and whatever you do, stay under the shadow of the wings of the Almighty. Father God loves you and is reminding you to trust in Him who is covering His people with His power, strength, and love.
Father God, thank You for being our strength, our refuge, and our covering as we go about our day. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
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“And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability…” Matthew 25:15
So often when one speaks of the idea of stewardship the mind automatically travels down the road to finances. The overall idea of finances and stewardship has been linked together for ages, even since the Bible times – and that’s a correct assessment. I want us to look beyond the management of “talents,” looking rather to talents. Huh!
Well, we have the Bible definition to deal with and then we have our English definition. Talents in the Bible refer to 3,000 shekels of silver while one’s talent in the English refers to that special something that God had planted on the inside of each of us. That skill or ability that comes so naturally, it just flows from one’s being. I think the idea of stewardship or being a manager can nicely encompass those God-given delectables on the inside of each of us.
I really think it is something special that God created these two words, though spelled the same, yet have different meanings, and then, gave a management directive over both of them. Paul charged Timothy and said, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee,” (1 Timothy 4:14). Paul knew that God had bestowed something amazing on the inside of this young man, yet, if it were going to prosper and flourish in him, he would have to pay careful attention to guard it.
Ask any gardener about the care that they take of their land once the seed has been planted. There are many steps to ensure growth. Just as with Adam in the Garden of Eden, God has planted the seed but has given each of us the charge to nurture it. That’s what stewardship is all about. Being careful to manage the thing/gift that God has put me in charge of.
Do you know how much the world needs the unique stuff that God has placed inside you? There can be a million preachers. There can be a million teachers. There can be a million givers. There can be a million ushers, janitors, authors, or whatever! There can be a million of anything that can be fathomed, but nobody can do it like YOU!
You are special. You are unique. Stop hiding your talents, your skills, that special something that God put in you. Stop burying it (Matthew 25:18). Rather do as Paul instructed Timothy and pay careful attention to it. Do what you have to do to cause that seed that God planted in you to grow to the point that it is flourishing on the outside of you. Then, the whole body of Christ can profit from that great gift in you.
“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same
one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God,”
1 Peter 4:10.
“And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.” Daniel 3:27
A lion without teeth and claws is no real threat and flames devoid of the power to burn and devour can do no real harm.
In Daniel 3, there is the very familiar story of the three Hebrew boys facing the fiery furnace. Although familiar, the story begs us to look further into it because the fire should have killed them. The fire should have burned every part of their being to ash with flames so high. The fire should have disintegrated everything about these men and there shouldn’t have been even anything left over to collect, but it was not given the power or the ability to do so.
What a miracle!
I must wonder, what did it look like for these men as they were standing in the flames and looking out without feeling the heat, just the safety of God covering them through it all?
Amazing!
Fire eats up and ravages things every day but when God is in the midst, it has no power!
The enemy was left astonished . . .
No parts of the fire or the furnace experience had any effect on them whatsoever . . .
The only effect it may have had on them was to increase their faith all the more!
Somebody needed to be reminded of this today. I don’t know what flames are trying to ignite against you today, but if He chooses, God can put it out or use it for His glory. Either way, one can never go wrong by trusting in Him.
He will cause the enemy to be astonished before you, amazed that you are still standing. Just like the three Hebrews boys, He will not only cause you to stand in the midst of the powerless flames, but He will allow you to walk around in it giving testimony to the power of the true God you serve.
Flames may be fierce, but God is fiercer! The enemy will try to burn you up, but God can use those flames to promote you (vs. 30) if you will just worship Him, believe, and trust that He has you in the midst of it all, because when you are on God’s side:
“THE FIRE HAS NO POWER!”
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I am a lifter.
I am an encourager.
I am a builder of my brother.
I am a minister to my sister.
I am an agent of hope to the downtrodden speaking words of inspiration about His freedom.
I am a promoter of grace, sharing words of deliverance with my war-worn sibling of the spirit.
I am a supporter of peace who chooses to use the mouth and the words God gives me to speak light, life, and love.
We are to speak “that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Ephesians 4:29
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“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” 1 Corinthians 6:19
Some weeks can be like a crazy schedule gone wild. The rush from one thing to another can drain us of any free time and we fall behind in our daily upkeep. When that happens and you wake the next morning after all the rushing about, you realize the evidence of your busyness is staring you in the face. What in the world happened here! Do messes multiply at night while we are asleep because we really believe it did not look that bad the night before? It always amazes me how easy it is for things to get disorganized and cluttered when we’re not giving them the attention they deserve.
Disorganization throws me off big time. When I’m trying to concentrate on a task and I lift my head up to look around and am spattered with a mess, my mind keeps going to the mess instead of getting back to the mission. Clutter is its own monster to deal with because when schedules grow out of hand, and stuff gets tossed to the side, the clutter monster gets fed and continues to grow and grow. Then, I wonder, “Where did all of this come from?”
When I first got married many years ago, I used to be a perfectionist. While I’m not as uptight as I used to be about a messy house, I still like cleanliness. A place for everything and everything in its place. Calm. Peaceful. Quiet. Yeah, that’s how I like it! It’s an environment that supports what I want to do in life.
Our spiritual lives operate in much the same way. When we are going off in many directions and not taking care of our home, our “temples,” things become disarrayed. We become less focused on taking care of the “home” business, and in our pursuits, our spiritual house becomes a mess.
Inattentiveness will do that. There are so many things that can capture our attention in our day-to-day activities. We have to be diligent guardsmen of the temple that keeps everything running smoothly. Take a museum for instance. It is probably one of the cleanest and most orderly establishments I have ever visited. The stuff that it holds inside is very valuable and some of it could never be replaced. Because of that, there are guards posted everywhere to ensure that everything is kept that way. When the sign says no photography, the guard will make sure no pictures will be taken. Flash does something to some of the works. You will not eat, drink, touch, or sneeze on any artwork. Our local museum has a line around each item and you better be careful not to cross it, or else.
Being that the Spirit we have in us is of more value than any artwork, irreplaceable and priceless, ought we not to guard it with even more diligence? Shouldn’t we be concerned about any messes or clutter that could disrupt the Spirit’s flow of working within us?
Paul thought so. The concern is that since God’s Spirit resides in you, you have the responsibility to keep the house clean. This body is a rental. It’s not permanent. The last part of our above verse tells us, “And ye are not your own?” We don’t hold the deed: “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s,” (1 Corinthians 6:20). But we are responsible for the upkeep of the property.
What mess of the spirit has us so cluttered and disorganized that we are less attentive to the things of God? When the spiritual house is a mess it’s hard to function and find peace to complete the task that God is leading us to. We need to respect this spiritual house as one does when visiting a museum.
How do we keep it in order? First, start by having a made-up mind to set priorities. Know that above all else your relationship with God has to come first. One way to do that is to find out what has been sidetracking you and make it fall into place. Then, change your focus of thought to allow the Spirit freer access to move. Unclutter your thought life from that which does not profit to something far better. The Bible advises us: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things,” (Philippians 4:8). Using this as a filter will help keep the clutter out and rampant thoughts under control.
In verse 9, Paul goes on to explain if they listen to this advice and follow his example, “the God of peace shall be with you.” That means the house is clean and uncluttered, free for Him to move!
If you feel like you are having a hard time connecting with God or you don’t feel the Spirit moving and leading like you once did, check the environment. If you find a need to pick some things up off of that spiritual floor and get things back in order, then do so. There is nothing more precious or powerful than God being able to work in a “house” unhindered, with no messes or obstacles in the way.
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“I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth,” Genesis 9:13
This morning I was reminded of a day long ago when I woke up feeling, well . . . . blah!!! That day, I had a headache, no energy, and not feeling really with it. It had been a hard week and it took its toll on my body. That day, and the original post I wrote, came to mind this morning and I decided to share some of it again here.
I remember looking for something to wear and I reached into my closet and pulled out a white shirt (black and white shirts are a standby for me because they usually don’t have to be ironed 🙂 – telling on myself, I know). But, even though it didn’t need to be ironed, I put it back declaring, in my dreariness that day that I needed a pop of color.
As I was going through the drudgery of ironing my pop of color, I wondered if that’s why God made His covenant with Noah and all the earth in the form of a rainbow. After the rains and the storms of life, after the hardships and turmoils, after being tossed about to and fro, maybe we all need that promise in a pop of color. We all need that beautiful and colorful covenant to gaze upon to let us know that despite what we are going through, God’s got this and His promises never fail (Joshua 21:45).
Today, I don’t know where life may find you or what you are going through. I don’t know if you have rain and storms with the possibility of seeing a physical rainbow at the end. I don’t know how your day begins or ends, but God does. I don’t know how it will all turn out, but our Heavenly Father is still watching over His children. He is sovereign, beautiful, and perfect in plans (Jeremiah 29:11), and He does all things well.
Friends, the rainbow is just one of the beautiful reminders of God’s hand and promise in our lives. Never are we left to fight these circumstances alone (Isaiah 41:10; Hebrews 13:5). Never are we left without the assurance we have in our God who is for us (Psalm 56:9; 118:7; Romans 8:31). So today, if you need it, here is your promise in a pop of color.
Blessings ~
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Smile often. Be optimistic. Make merry. Laugh a little more. Find joy in the big and small things. Love intently, and remain cheerful in your heart for it is good medicine. – Proverbs 17:22
Enjoy your family. Enjoy your friends. Enjoy the life that God blessed you with today!
Happy Fourth of July!
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God knows the beginning and endings of your days and your life. When it feels out of control, remember God is always in control. 𝑭𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑮𝒐𝒅, 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔. 𝑾𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒀𝒐𝒖, 𝒊𝒏 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆, 𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒖𝒔. 𝑯𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒖𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒖𝒓𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔. 𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆. 𝑰𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕, 𝒘𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚, 𝑨𝑴𝑬𝑵!
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God wants to hear our prayers. He invites us to pour our cares and troubles out to Him. Even when life seems overwhelming to us, it’s never overwhelming to God. He is just one prayer away!
“I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication.
I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.
When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.” Psalm 142:1-3
This is where our focus lies today. Not in ourselves. Not in our abilities. Not in other people. God is my Strength, my Source, my Healer, my Redeemer. Go forth in His power today! “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” Psalm 28:7
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