“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” Colossians 3:23
In Matthew 25 there is the parable of the talents. Some were productive and some were not. The ones who were, the master blessed with even more. The one that wasn’t lost everything.
We only get out of this life what we put into it. “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully,” (2 Corinthians 9:6). I believe this principle can apply to every area of our lives.
Too many are looking for blessings without putting their best foot forward. Thomas Edison said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
God honors the persistence and diligence of those who work to put their best foot forward: “For the labourer is worthy of his hire” (Luke 10:7). He rewards those that do their best. Whether in the parable of the talents or in Colossians 3:23, when we do our best, heartily, and bountifully, we can look forward to reaping the best.
If you don’t like what you have been reaping, check to see what you have been sowing. Have we been half-stepping or given it our all, “as for the Lord?”
Life can be overwhelming sometimes. Ask God to help you with your daily schedule and the work you must do and DO YOUR BEST TODAY! Don’t let your talents go to waste!
“And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” 2 Samuel 5:24, NKJV
Have you ever seen one of those action movies where the characters involved in a grand scheme or plan must synchronize their watches to ensure everyone is moving at the right time?
When a big feat is to take place, it is good to make sure everyone is on the same page and moving at the proper time.
That’s what proper planning does. It views the many angles of the story, not just the present or temporary moments, but all the moments included, and it determines when the best time is to do A, B, or C.
On the opposite end of this spectrum is impulsiveness. It doesn’t always take every matter into account and consider all the possibilities. It tends to move forward hastily, and sometimes prematurely.
Sometimes it is hard to determine the difference between impulsiveness, instincts, and zeal, but there is a difference.
When David finally became king, not just recognized as king in Hebron, but over all Israel (2 Samuel 5:1-3), there were still yet contentions he faced, including their long-time enemy, the Philistines.
If you will remember, David had great success as a youth in slaying their most prominent warrior, Goliath (1 Samuel 17). But during the time between that battle and the one facing the Philistines here in 2 Samuel 5, David experienced many other inner and outer battles along the way.
In that, he grew not only in stature but in ability. Through his fearlessness, faith, and fervor, he became a much-feared warrior and king.
But David didn’t allow his previous accomplishments to cause him to rest on his laurels.
There were still battles to fight and enemies to conquer, so David pursued and engaged – but not without God’s guidance.
He could have chalked up his previous victories as the all-encompassing plan to win all his battles, but he didn’t.
And that’s a good thing because, with each battle he faced God gave him different directions on how to gain a successful ending.
Here in chapter 5, in one battle David was instructed to “go up” (v. 19), and in the other, he was told to “circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines” (Vv. 23, 24, NKJV; emphasis added).
This was going to be the battle of battles with the Philistines. After this event, they would no longer be a threat to Israel. But to get there, David had to wait for the right time.
Back to our opening illustration of synchronization, time is everything. But the caveat to that is, that the way we view time and the way God views time is vastly different (2 Peter 3:8).
Twice in verse 24, you see the word “then,” with God giving specific instructions on when David is to make his move. Any time outside the premise of that “then,” was not his moment to advance.
If David wanted to ensure success, he had to synchronize his move with God’s “then,” with God’s timing.
While zeal, fervor, and experience are great, if it’s out of alignment with God’s moment to progress, it won’t work.
Our God works specifically and in order. And more often than not, His design will not be on our timetable.
As infinite as He is, so are His plans and abilities, and through it all, taking the omniscient view of our lives, He knows when, where, and how something should be done.
But it is when we fight with impatience and frustration, when we can’t see it moving or how it will turn out, we find ourselves in precarious situations or wanting to give up altogether.
We don’t want “then,” we want now!
Instant victory. Instant gratification. And instant applause and promotion.
But when we pause at the “then” moments, we are simultaneously taking that occasion to learn how God is leading and giving Him room to work.
Listen for the sound of God’s moving.
This was David’s experience. Not until he heard the marching in the tops of the mulberry trees was it safe for him to proceed regardless of his personal abilities or how he previously won battles.
My friend, God has a specific plan for you. One drawn up and orchestrated out of His divine love. Do not rush ahead of God. He has an appointed time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1; Habakkuk 2:3).
Learning to wait for your “then” moments requires trust which is why Proverbs famously reminds us to “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5,6).
We will never have the full understanding God does for our lives (Isaiah 55:8,9), but what we can have is our trust and belief that He is perfect, His ways are perfect, and God knows what He is doing.
I don’t know what marching in the tops of mulberry trees audibly sounds like, but I do know what it sounds like in our lives of faith: waiting.
Waiting, patience, and being still when everything says go is hard. But if that going is not marked by God’s stamp of approval, it will all be for nothing.
And if you are longing for me to give you specifics or signs or systems to find out how to know when your “then” moment is, I can’t.
Our Heavenly Father has a perfect timeline for everyone’s life, and He only can tell you when it’s your time to advance.
In the meantime, you may have to do one of the hardest things – continue to wait, continue to have patience, and continue to be still.
In these moments of not going, let them be filled with the activity of seeking God, seeking His face and His perfect will for your life. Let them be filled with drawing ever nearer to His presence and learning to recognize and become more familiar with His moving in your own life.
Then, when you figuratively hear the marching in the tops of the mulberry trees (or by whatever means that you beyond a shadow of a doubt know it’s God’s prompting and leading you), you will know that your time has come, and you can advance forward successfully.
That second “then” assured David that by following God’s way, He was the one going before him. And whatever we are doing, above all else, this is how we should want to win our victories: following God’s ways and Him going with us.
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11
“And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?” Judges 6:14
Gideon heard the message but he felt unqualified. He supposed he was inadequate for what God called him to do, stating that his family was “poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house” Judges 6:15.
Have you ever been there? Questioning your ability to do something beyond your normal scope of operations?
You are not alone. Many struggle daily with feelings of overwhelm, believing that this is just beyond my personal capabilities.
But can I tell you, where we see inability, God sees a victor in the making. Where we see someone who can’t, He sees someone who can. Where we feel we would lose, God sees one who is built to conquer. It is not, nor has it ever been about what we see, think, or can do within ourselves. It’s all about what God can do through us.
Gideon going up against the Midianites (read Judges 6:1-8:21) and winning against his enemies with an unusual victorious battle plan seems just as ludicrous as a skinny teenage boy like David going up against a great warrior like Goliath (both were outmatched and outsized). But, anytime God places a call on someone’s life, He doesn’t measure their ability to do the job by the individual. He doesn’t measure it by some fantastic gift they have in them, or their stature, or anything else one might use to determine the probability of success on the outside. God measures it by what He knows He can do through that life on the inside; that person who will just “go” at His calling.
The victory He had in mind for Gideon was so great that it was going to be as if “one man” (Judges 6:16)took down a whole army. In our walk of faith, we must take our eyes off what we can do and focus more on what God can do through us, answer His call on our lives, and just “go”, “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” – 1 Timothy 1:9
My friend, you can do this. His holy Word reminds us:
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” – Jeremiah 1:5
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;” – 1 Peter 2:9
And let us also remember:
“For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” – Romans 11:29
Life gives us two options: stop where we are now and walk away, or keep moving forward until your destination is reached.
Giving up is not an option. At least, that’s what most self-help motivational gurus say. On this subject, I must agree. The steadfastness and commitment of our Christian journey is more than obtaining worldly goals, success, and the like. It’s a continual press onward and upward toward the kingdom of God, and in that, we want to take others along for this wonderful spiritual pilgrimage.
In Acts 13, Barnabas and Paul set out on their first missionary journey. People, including leaders of cities, were responding positively to the message of the gospel they were teaching (see Acts 13:12). But as the apostle Paul will learn, while there may be some successes along the way, there will also be some hard times and adversities; in opposition to the positive responses, there will also be some negative ones.
After leaving the area of Paphos, Paul and Barnabas traveled by boat to Perga in Pamphylia and from there into Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:13-14). Searching out the local synagogue, Paul went in and expounded to the Jews present about their national history that led up to the revealing of the crucifixion and resurrection of the Savior (Acts 13:16-41).
But, when the Gentiles begged to hear the same words of encouragement about the Savior, the Jews in attendance became envious and started contending against the work and the teaching of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:42-45). After this adversarial encounter, Paul stated it was necessary for them [the Jews] to hear of this good news first, and then he proceeded to tell them that now they would focus their ministry on delivering the message to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46-48).
Although the Gentiles were glad about what they heard, and the gospel spread throughout the region (Acts 13:49), the opposition against these missionaries was just getting started. Troublemakers stirred up prominent men and women of society who persecuted Paul and Barnabas and kicked them out of the region (Acts 13:50). Nevertheless, this did not stop their joy or the delivering of the message. Shaking the dust off their feet against this city, they moved on to the next teaching/preaching opportunity which is found in the city of Iconium (Acts 13:51-14:1).
But there, too, we see that the unbelieving Jews caused problems for the missionaries. Standing their ground in the Word, and continuing to preach His message, Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly for the gospel’s sake until the residents of the city became so divided that violence was sought against them. Upon finding this out, they fled to Lystra and Derbe and began to preach the gospel there (Acts 14:2-7).
It should not surprise the Christian that such division is found wherever the gospel is preached. Even Jesus stated, “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division,” (Luke 12:51). While some are looking forward to what the truth of the Word of our Lord holds, others do not. Therefore, wherever progress and footings are made to plant the Word of God into souls, there will always be attempts to stop that from happening. The job of the Christian is to not give up regardless of the troubles, adversities, trials, and tribulations one faces. The gospel message must still go out. There are still souls that need to hear of His saving grace, and as carriers of such a treasure, we must through faith strive through it all to deliver this eternal life-saving message to this broken world.
The troubles we may encounter in any ministry work are not to be a surprise (1 Peter 4:12), rather, it is to be expected (John 16:33). We were never promised the absence of struggles. But what we are told is, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (James 1:12), and “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9).
God told Joshua in the Old Testament, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9), and while it is one verse we like to quote often, wearing that faith hat and putting it into practice can sometimes escape us when the struggles are before us.
Nonetheless, the ministry and the message are too important not to push through and push forward, and like the apostle Paul stated in Philippians, we too must declare, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (3:14).
So, you see, there is really only one option. The choice between the two is always ours, but to continue to be and do all God has called you to be, and do, only one viable option is on the table: Don’t Give Up! If the road were always easy and popular everybody would walk it (Matthew 7:13, 14). But everybody in this world out there needs us to continue moving this message forward, even if they don’t realize it.
Paul, through all of his missionary journeys, would continue the press in carrying the gospel to many nations and people. In the process, he would suffer much ( read the rest of Acts 14 and 2 Corinthians 11:23-33). But for him, giving up was not an option. Neither should it be for us. We may never be called upon to experience and endure some of the trials he and many others have faced, but that doesn’t mean that we will be without adversity. May the courage and dedication of our Lord, and the testimony of these witnesses encourage us to carry on.
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” Hebrews 3:1-3
The struggle may seem hard at times but Jesus promised, “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved,” (Matthew 24:13).
Please Note: Ads below or referenced on this site are prefabricated and mass-produced (of which I currently have no control) and DO NOT necessarily represent the views and/or beliefs of this site and its admin.
Guarding is strong. Guarding is powerful. Guarding is beautiful because it says what I have in me is valuable space. Trivial things and those who tarnish or bring unbeneficial substances are not welcome here.
The sacred is alive in you (1 John 4:4) and it must be cherished and protected at all costs. The Bible encourages us to, “Be sober, be vigilant…” (1 Peter 5:8). Being vigilant means I must take a proactive approach to the value in me and be very attentive to the things that seek to drain and damage it.
Many distractions come in life with its very definition meaning to steal your focus and direction from what is truly important. These distractions stand against the foundation of what one considers significant.
But to truly treasure what’s in you is to truly treat it like the jewel that it is and stand guard against all who would try to misappropriate her value. “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…” Jesus warned His followers (John 10:10a). So, the responsibility lies within each of us to be aware and never stop protecting the beauty He offers – “abundant life” (John 10:10b).
Would it be profitable to move one’s feet from the position on the watchtower even for just a moment while an enemy creeps in unawares?
No. It would not only be unprofitable, but it could be dangerous. A foe is a foe and nothing else. His purpose is to stop your advancement while Christ is accelerating you up to go forward. But if you are slowed and your progress hindered due to a personal refusal to stand watch, then what of the treasure within? Will it be used to its maximum usefulness, or will it, through neglect and lack of vigilance, dwindle and waste away?
The beauty within… the value within calls us to stand guard and to treasure and protect the significant.
Please Note: Ads below or referenced on this site are prefabricated and mass-produced (of which I currently have no control) and DO NOT necessarily represent the views and/or beliefs of this site and its admin.
Word For Life Says... 