Devotional: Money, Money, Money

Money, Money, Money

October 28, 2012

Malachi 3:6-12

“I am the LORD, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed.  Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. “But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’  “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me.  You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me.  Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!  Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.  “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

The Lord does not change.  He asks for obedience.  He makes clear what obedience looks like.  He promises a healthier and more meaningful life to those who obey and live as He directs.  Yet people have always struggled to do this.  Despite generations of evidence proving God’s promises are true, we still disobey.

“Return to me” says the Lord.  The people ask “How”.  The Lord’s simple answer is “stop cheating me”.  This is strong language from the Lord.  Does God need money?  No!  Do we need God?  Yes!  So why does God care about what we do with the money we have?  Money and wealth can become idols.  If we are not careful, we will serve money rather than the Lord.  We cannot do both.  The tithe exists for our benefit.  It puts life together in a healthy and proper manner.  All we have comes from the Lord.  When we honor God through obedience we experience blessing.  God meets our need.  “Put me to the test” says the Lord.  Are we?  Will we trust God?

Devotional - Skillz

Skillz

October 21, 2012

Exodus 31:1-6

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.  I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts.  He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze.  He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft! “And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make

God gives people talents and abilities.  Some we are born with.  God built them deeply into us.  Others we learn as we go along.  Still others are given to us when we fully embrace the salvation of Jesus and follow him.  God actively works in us to help us develop and grow.  God wants us to put these skills to use.  Have you ever had the joy of watching a child develop skills before your eyes (music, athletics, etc)?  Imagine how God might feel watch us use the skills he has given us.  It honors him.  It is a form of praise.

For Moses, the task God had given him was huge.  He could not do it alone.  He needed the leadership, talents, and abilities of others.  God provided those others.  He surrounded Moses with a master craftsman to build all that was needed to worship.  He provided a skilled organizer to assist him.  He gave special skill to all the craftsmen that would do the Lord’s work.  God took the raw talent in each individual and magnified it to do His work.  Together they created a means of worship that would last generations. 

What talents, abilities, and skills has God given you?  God gives the church everything it needs to do His work.  When people use what God gives, the church has all the resources it needs and those people are healthier and more in tune with God.  Are we using all that God has given us?  Are you?  How can we change this?

Time Management - God Cares Devotional

Time Management – God Cares

October 14, 2012

Exodus 18:13-18

The next day Moses sat as judge for the people, while the people stood around him from morning until evening. When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”  Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.  When they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make known to them the statutes and instructions of God.”  Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good.  You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.

God wants us to live healthy, meaningful lives.  God gives us time, talent, and resources to do this.  God commands us to be stewards (managers) of what he has given us.  God cares about what we do with the time we have.  Moses wasn’t a good time manager.  He worked from sunup to sundown.  He worked hard every day.  This is a good trait.  God honor hard work.  Yet what Moses was doing with his time was not good.  His father in law saw what Moses was doing and pointed this out.  For all his hard work, Moses was just wearing himself and his people out.  He was less able to do the work God called him to do because of how he was managing his time.

For a lot of us, our lives are similar to Moses.  We work hard.  We give a lot of time to our jobs and the various other parts of our lives.  Yet we sometimes feel like life lacks health, meaning, or purpose.  Sometimes we are just worn out.  God has created a rhythm to life.  We see it every day when the sun sets and rises again.  We see it every time we go to sleep and wake up.  God created priorities for life.  He is first followed by family then everything else.  Getting out of rhythm in life equals getting out of rhythm with God.  Our lives are to be examples of how God created us to live.  What does your time management say about God?  Let’s work to be good examples.

Four Weeks of Prayer - Week 4

Four Weeks of Prayer

October 7, 2012

James 5:13-16

Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise.  Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.  The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.  Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.  

Prayer is absolutely important in the life of a Christian.  It is a primary connection point between our lives and God.  Prayer is a community effort.  It can be done when a collection of individuals pray for the same thing.  It can be done when the whole church gathers together to anoint those who need healing and/or forgiveness.  It can be done when a small group of people gather to pray for each other in an atmosphere of confidence and confidentiality.  All are needed for us to live well round lives of prayer.

Confessing our sins to another is often more difficult than confessing our sins to God.  It requires us to open up the doors of our hearts and become vulnerable to another.  It requires trust in another person.  This trust is not to be given lightly or casually.  This trust must not be betrayed.  When this trust exists everyone is strengthened.  God did not create us to go through life alone.  We are greater when we have deep personal relationships with other people.  This is God’s design for the church.  How many of us have a group of people like this?  How often do we admit our failings and our sins to others or even to ourselves?  What stops us?  Healing is found in the prayers of the faithful and in the atmosphere of trust. 

This week, let’s each make an effort to seek out a trustworthy believing friend.  Let’s be open with and pray with that person.  Let’s use our 30 minutes of prayer each day to help us make this happen.