Use What You’ve Got
Father, may I continually sit in Your presence. May the day of rest not forever be a day of stress. Whatever the new normal becomes may You fill it. May I find that Your blessings overflow it! And in the midst of it all, may my joy be found in You! Amen.
Luke 16:1-12 (<<click here to read the passage)
We all are given a certain amount of assets of which to make use, or at the least, the gifts and abilities to assist us in bringing those assets into being. Our job is to use those things to the best of our abilities to assure our ongoing capacity to further our lives.
Some are gifted in areas where advanced schooling will enable them to pursue occupations where they can perform specific tasks giving them the capacity to further their lives.
Others are gifted in areas where trades are grasped, and skills are honed to provide much-needed services, enabling them to perform specific tasks giving them the capacity to further their lives.
There are things in life at which we excel…but if we set them aside, we lose the ability to excel at them any longer.
In middle school, I took up playing the trumpet. As time went on, I eventually learned to play the French horn, as well. I really enjoyed the French horn and was first chair in my high school band.
When I went to college, I played in the band my freshman year but eventually, I set it aside to focus on participating in choir and putting more time and effort into becoming a better piano player.
I rationalized that if I was going to be a Minister of Music, that in many settings choirs and maybe even needing to accompany choirs was of greater importance than my continued investment of time in playing the French horn.
Well, things didn’t pan out like I thought they would. I gave up something at which I excelled – the French horn – and invested in something at which I would (at the time) only be mediocre in my offering. (At this point in my life, I don’t even play for my own enjoyment, much less in a church setting…) Unfortunately, I have lost any ability that I did have in playing the French horn.
A gift that I was given, I chose to set down. And because of that choice, the gift has been lost. I am grateful that other gifts that I was given I have used faithfully. I have honed and worked at them. I have prayed over them. And even though they may be difficult at times to maintain, God continues to bless their use.
As Jesus has admonished us all, “If [we] you are faithful in little things, [we] will be faithful in large ones.” v10a God takes those areas in which we are faithful and multiplies them how He sees fit to further His kingdom.
If we squander the gifts we have been given or if we set them down, refusing to use them, they often just cease to be. The phrase, “But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities” v10b reflects that mentality.
Lord Jesus, may we wisely invest in the gifts and abilities that we have been given. Though my life did not necessarily go the way that I thought it would, You took what I have and made it what You needed it to be for the furtherance of Your kingdom. Continue to use me as you will. Amen.
Sept 20th, 2020, Sun, 6:19 pm
Encourage One Another
Father, I would pray that You would enable me to get back into a groove again. Getting adjusted to a new routine of “early to bed, early to rise” has been difficult. I need a routine that gets me moving for sermon preparation and writing. Amen.
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I haven’t shared a bus story for a while…but then I’ve only been at it with kids for less than two weeks!
This morning I picked up one of only two kindergarteners that I have this year (last year I had 12!) He is a very precocious young man, and, boy, does he love to talk! I have my kindergarteners sit right behind me upfront and he sits in the seat directly behind my seat. Conversation is non-stop for the remainder of my route!
Well, this morning he was excited to share with me that he could count to 100…and he did! There was a little pause before each “ten”, but he did great!
In recent conversations with Karen, I know that they are supposed to be able to do that by the time they get to 1st Grade, so he’s ahead of schedule and not a thing wrong with that!
Now, if I told you that I could count to 100 and wanted to count it our for you, you’d probably think I’d lost it! It’s not quite as impressive for a man of my age, education, and life experience. But the sad thing is, as we get older that joy and wonder of learning and growing begin to fade for most of us. And unfortunately, we get pulled into the game of one-up-on-you. We feel that we always have to be better than our “opponents”. We have to show them up. We have to outdo what they did. Aren’t there a lot of circumstances where it would be great to just share in the joy of another in something they learned or accomplished, and regardless of what we know, that we could appreciate their excitement and cheer them on?
The verse that comes to mind is from the first part of 1 Thessalonians 5:11,
So encourage each other and build each other up… NLT
No matter the age or the circumstances – from kindergarteners to old friends – share in their wonder! Love them enough to build them up. It’s not us against them! We are in this together and there is no one who doesn’t need a steady diet of encouragement!
As has happened many a time, this brought to mind a song! And once more it is a song from my Children’s Pastor days in the late 90s. It’s another song from Steve Green’s Hide ‘em in Your Heart album – a collection of children’s songs taken straight from the Bible. For your listening pleasure, here is a link to listen to Encourage One Another! Take it to heart!
Sept 17th, 2020, Thurs, 12:51 pm
The Other Prodigal
Thank You, Father, for a good night’s sleep! As I get older that is not always the case. Thank You for Your presence.
Luke 15:25-32 (<<click here to read the passage)
In the last couple of weeks, I’ve shared thoughts on this parable from a couple of different angles…but here is a third. We know who the prodigal son is, but have you ever thought about the other prodigal?
When the younger brother returned, we know he was welcomed by his father. And not just welcomed but celebrated! The father proclaims here in verse 32, that his son who was dead…has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”
But the first-born son was just a tad less joyous upon his younger brother’s return. In fact, he was so angry that he wouldn’t even join the party. His father had to come out and beg him to come in.
Don’t we all sort of side with the older son? He had done the right thing. He had stayed the course. He had done what he was supposed to do. He never even got a little goat party, much less a fattened calf party! He was ticked! And we all pretty much think he got the short end of the deal…right?
He may have stayed home and diligently worked on the farm. He may have kept his nose to the grind. But he was no less a prodigal, he was no less lost, than his brother.
Just because we hang around our Father more frequently than those who turn their back on Him, doesn’t mean that we cannot be lost. Just because we reside in righteous territory doesn’t mean that we don’t get angry, or stubborn, or have a mindset of entitlement, or have to deal with self-righteousness. We can be just as guilty as the older brother.
And how about forgiveness? That’s a toughie. It is so easy to hold a grudge…to become imbittered. What’s tough is letting those kinds of things go. The older son was going to have to deal with his need to forgive his brother for doing all he did and then having the gall to come back and expect any kind of welcome. And he needed to forgive his father (if you can call it that!) not just for welcoming but celebrating his brother’s return.
Lord Jesus, may we closely examine our own hearts.
Search me, O God, and know my heart today
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray
See if there be some wicked way in me
Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free – J. Edwin Orr, 1936
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Matthew West released a song a few years back entitled Forgiveness. It’s a great song inspired by a true story. Here’s a video, with lyrics, of the song. I’ve also included a video of the story behind the song.
Sept 16th, 2020, Wed,
Glad to Be Home
As I sat this afternoon, the lyrics of an old Andrea Crouch song came to mind. Therein lies truth.
Through it all
Through it all
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus
I’ve learned to trust in God
Through it all
Through it all
I’ve learned to depend upon His Word (Through It All 1971)
Luke 15:11-24 (<<click here to read the passage)
A few weeks back Karen and I were able to donate blood with the Red Cross and as I was waiting, who should I see but a retired professor of mine who had just donated blood himself. Through the course of our conversation, he recommended a movie and the book on which it was based. The book was The Rocket Boys (October Sky) written by American engineer Homer Hickam, Jr. It is the story of his pursuit of amateur rocketry while growing up in a small mining town in southern West Virginia.
As I read through this passage of Luke today a couple of incidents came to mind from the book. He was a typical teenage boy and got himself in trouble quite often. When things would blow up (sometimes literally!) he would say he was sorry but, especially when it involved his mom, I often felt that he was sorry that he got caught and to some degree sorry that he destroyed something or hurt her feelings but he didn’t seem to really be sorry for what he had done.
Here is one little quote,
I had a lot of experience dealing with my mother when she got mad at me. The best approach was to throw myself immediately on her mercy. I sought her out, finding her in the kitchen. “Mom, I’m really sorry,” I said, my head bowed. I watched her out of the tops of my eyes to see what impact my declaration had made. (Hickman, Homer, Jr., 1998, Rocket Boys, p.278)
Many of us are guilty of that kind of “sorrow”, not that that is any kind of excuse. But the young prodigal in Jesus’ parable seems to be sorry that he royally messed up his life but realized that he would be better off at the bottom of the heap as a hired man working for his father than feeding swine.
Yes, he said, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son” v21 but, though there is an admission of guilt, he doesn’t really express his sorrow for his selfish ways.
But does it slow down his father? Not one bit! I don’t think the father even heard what the son said. He was just overjoyed that his son was home!
How many of us would expect the erring son to grovel and squirm a bit? How many of us would say, “You bet you’re going to work! I’ll put a roof over your head and feed you, but you’ve already squandered what pay you might have received! You should be grateful that I’ll allow that!” …right?
But aren’t we all glad that our heavenly Father reflects the father in Jesus’ story? The price for our sins has been paid in full. All He wants is for us to come home. He accepts us right where we are. Can you imagine what the son looked like and smelled like? Pee-yew! But this was the father’s reaction.
“…while [the son] was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.” v20 NLT (emphasis mine)
Our heavenly Father sees us no differently. If anything, His love and compassion for us are greater by far! His joy is that we have come home. Everything else in our relationship will come in time.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for running to welcome me and taking me in Your arms! I surely did not deserve it but Your love conquers all! I’m glad to be HOME! Have you come home?
Sept 15th, 2020, Tues, 12:58 pm
Found
Thank You, Father, for Your guiding hand. Paths all around tempt me but as I heed Your direction, I am saved!
Luke 15:8-10 (<<click here to read the passage)
When I was younger (and not nearly as mature as I am today LOL!) I had a very bad habit of spinning my wedding band on a table or desk. That is a rare occurrence today. Also, on occasion, when my hands swell from a lot of walking, I pull it from my ring finger and place it on my pinkie.
Well on some occasion years ago, when doing something foolish…I lost my wedding band! We searched high and low and never did find it. Because of my irresponsibility, we had to replace it. It has been long enough ago that my replacement is still 14K gold. Many today are just 10K. Needless to say, it was not a happy time in my home.
My Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation says this about today’s passage, “Palestinian women received 10 silver coins as a wedding gift. Besides their monetary value, these coins held sentimental value like that of a wedding ring, and to lose one would be extremely distressing.”
How many wedding rings are there out there? How many coins are there out there? How many people are there out there?
Rings can be replaced. Coins can be replaced. People can…not be replaced.
My study Bible goes on to say, “Each individual is precious to God. He grieves over every loss and rejoices whenever one of his children is found and brought into the Kingdom.”
God loves us! There is not one single person in all of humanity who is expendable. We are valued. We are cherished.
“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 AMP
He loves us. But in order to “not perish” and have “eternal life”, we have to believe. The Amplified Bible version of verse 10 keeps things running along those lines.
In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents [that is, changes his inner self—his old way of thinking, regrets past sins, lives his life in a way that proves repentance; and seeks God’s purpose for his life].” v10 AMP
Maybe you have made that decision to repent…and that is wonderful! But what are you doing to help other lost souls find Jesus’ free gift of salvation? Perhaps we would have more joy in our churches if we shared Jesus’ love and concern for the lost, diligently seeking them, and rejoicing when they come to the Savior. (Life Application Study Bible NLT)
Sept 14th, 2020, Mon, 12:48 pm