๐๐จ๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก ๐, ๐๐๐๐:
“And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them.” Deuteronomy 28:13
They say 10,000 steps a day helps to promote a healthier you. How healthier would our inner man be if our daily steps, our daily living, were marked by wisdom’s ways?
“My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life. ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐๐๐๐ก ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฆโ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ฌ. ๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐๐ฅ๐ค, ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐จ๐งโ๐ญ ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐ค; ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ง, ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐จ๐งโ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐.” Proverbs 4:10-12, NLT
“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” Hebrews 10:23, NLT
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(ใฃโโกโ)ใฃ โฅ I will be with you… โฅ
“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” Isaiah 43:2
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โAnd unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one;ย to every man according to his several ability…โ 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 thatโs a correct assessment. I want us to look beyond the management of โtalents,โ 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 oneโs 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 oneโs 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, โNeglect not the gift that is in thee,โ (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. Thatโs 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.
โAs every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same
one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God,โ
1 Peter 4:10.
You are the Rock
that we lean upon.
Better than the
glory of the rising sun.
You are the great
I AM THAT I AM.
Better than Moses,
the prophets, and Abraham.
You are my praise,
my comfort, my shield.
Better than any source
this world reveals.
You are the hope
in my soul, do I trust.
Better than man or plan,
designed or discussed.
It is You to which
none can compare,
for You are better than
anyone, anywhere.
A lot of things
we can appreciate
but You, O God,
are better in every way.
“Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord‘s name is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.” Psalm 113:2-4
“Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.” Jeremiah 10:6-7
“I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.” Isaiah 45:5-7
The world calls out for our trust. Man pleads for us to put confidence in him. Even our own five senses beckon us to lean upon what we can feel, see, and touch.
But God is supremely better than them all. He is the Utmost beyond our utmost, and none can top, come near, or replace the joy and treasure found in the greatness of our God who is just better than.
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“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 shouldnโt 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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โWhat? 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 weโre not giving them the attention they deserve.
Disorganization throws me off big time. When Iโm 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, โWhere did all of this come from?โ
When I first got married many years ago, I used to be a perfectionist. While Iโm 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, thatโs how I like it! Itโs 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 โtemples,โ things become disarrayed. We become less focused on taking care of the โhomeโ 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? Shouldnโt we be concerned about any messes or clutter that could disrupt the Spiritโs flow of working within us?
Paul thought so. The concern is that since Godโs Spirit resides in you, you have the responsibility to keep the house clean. This body is a rental. Itโs not permanent. The last part of our above verse tells us, โAnd ye are not your own?โ We donโt hold the deed: โFor ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are Godโs,โ (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 itโs 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: โFinally, 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,โ (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, โthe 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 donโt 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 โhouseโ unhindered, with no messes or obstacles in the way.
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DON’T LOSE HEART. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO AN ETERNAL REWARD! Daily, we may face challenges. Daily, there may be uprisings against our faith. But daily, we are renewed by His strength, power, and grace. The promise before us is greater than the trials in front of us.
โTherefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.โ โ2 Corinthians 4:16-18
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Pray, and go for it! If God is leading you to it, He will see you through it. “Courage is fear that has said its prayers.” – Maya Angelou
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9, NASB
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