Daily Devotions

Do you recall how after the day of Pentecost, Peter was at the gate of the temple where a paralysed beggar called out for alms.  But Peter's response was worth more to that man than all the riches of the world. Do you remember  what Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” (Acts 3:6)

This text speaks of a treasure of a completely different dimension. 

There is a story of a young novice visiting the Vatican in the middle ages and being shown the treasury with its vastly accumulated riches. It is alleged that the custodian of the treasury said to the young visitor, “no longer can the church say, silver and gold have I none!” To which the novice replied, “Ah, but can it still say, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk?”

In 2015, Denzel Washington was invited to address the undergraduates at Dillard University, this is what he said, “Put God first. Put God first in everything you do. Everything that you think you see in me. Everything that I’ve accomplished, everything that you think I have – and I have a few things. Everything that I have is by the grace of God.”

He concluded his address by saying, “Finally, I pray that you put your slippers way under the bed tonight, so that when you wake up in the morning you have to get on your knees to reach them. [Applause] And while you’re down there, say thank you for grace, thank you for mercy, thank you for understanding, thank you for wisdom, thank you for parents, thank you for love, thank you for kindness, thank you for humility, thank you for peace, thank you for prosperity. Say thank you in advance for what’s already yours.

So that’s how I live my life, that’s why – [where I am today]. Say thank you in advance for what is already yours.

What was it that Isaac Watts wrote when he considered the Cross of Christ? “…my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.” Concluding with “Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all. Now that’s a rich treasure!

Daily Devotions

The writer of Ephesians prays, “I ask God from the riches of his glory to give you power through his Spirit to be strong in your inner selves,” (3:16) This is a treasure of another dimension that infers, fullness, abundance, plenitude not of things but of grace. And what is this  grace?

John Newton was an English evangelical Anglican cleric and slavery abolitionist. He had previously been a captain of slave ships and an investor in the slave trade. He served as a sailor in the Royal Navy (after forced recruitment) and was himself enslaved for a time in West Africa. He is noted for being author of the hymns Amazing Grace and Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken.  His epitaph reads:

“John Newton, clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long laboured to destroy.”

Grace did not free him to serve no master, but a new Master.

A favoured definition of Grace for me comes from Fred Buechner. “The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn't have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It's for you I created the universe. I love you. There's only one catch. Like any other gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you'll reach out and take it. Maybe being able to reach out and take it is a gift too.”

In light of this perhaps the words of Jesus are enough, recorded by Paul, 2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” To which Paul responds with, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness.”

Creating and eternal God,

whose grace is sufficient for us

and whose power is made perfect in weakness,

in our weakness and insufficiency,

we offer our lives

and the gifts of our living

for the work of your mustard seed kingdom;

in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Daily Devotions

We continue with our thoughts on treasure and especially our attitude to reaches and wealth by referring to 1 Timothy 6:17-18 offers divine instructions for the wealthy among us. The passage reads:

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”

When your season of material wealth arrives, if it hasn’t already, this 1 Timothy 6:17-18 passage is telling us we are to do the following four things:

Don’t become arrogant. Work hard and become successful in life but don’t think of yourself as better than others because of your material wealth. In Deuteronomy 8:18 Moses reminds us, “But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.”

Don’t put your hope in your wealth. Proverbs 23:5 says, “Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.” A good job or business and its steady earnings can be here today and gone tomorrow.

Be rich in good deeds. A good deed is a free and voluntary act of service toward another person. Doing good deeds for others is the fruit of your salvation in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:10 tells us: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.”

Be generous and willing to share. Generous people are synergistic. They build organisations and contribute to the success others. Think about it: who wants to do business with someone who only takes?

In essence we are to enjoy the things God has sent our way while being respectful of others, rich in good deeds, and generous with the less fortunate.

Here is an unusual prayer for today. 

Dear Lord,

I have been re-reading the record of the Rich Young Ruler and his obviously wrong choice. But it has set me thinking. No matter how much wealth he had, he could not-- ride in a car, have any surgery, turn on a light, buy penicillin, hear a pipe organ, watch TV, wash dishes in running water, type a letter, mow a lawn, fly in an airplane, sleep on an innerspring mattress, or talk on the phone,

If he was rich, then what am I? Amen

Daily Devotions

Today, we expand our notion of treasure to review what we mean by wealth and riches. Are they the same thing? 

David Kotter,  Dean and Professor of New Testament Studies at Colorado Christian University whose primary research focuses on the intersection between theology and economics,  states that in the Bible “wealth” and “riches” are often used interchangeably, but he draws a spiritual distinction between the two regarding the heart attitude of their possessors.

According to his research, “riches” correspond with self-indulgent hearts while the wealthy see themselves as stewards of God’s gifts and manage their possessions in ways that honour him. For example, the riches of the young ruler (Mark 10:23-27) skewed his thinking and blocked his union with Christ but Lydia, a dealer in expensive purple cloth (Acts 16:14), worshipped the Lord with an open heart and was baptised.

Appreciating ours material wealth as a blessing from God to be used in ways that glorify him is one thing, but when this same wealth separates you from God and stifles your spiritual growth then this is an altogether different matter. Jesus is speaking to the negative aspects of riches in the Parable of the Sower when he warns that we can be “choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures.” (Luke 8:14).

Well might it be good to say, “Lord, you were not talking about possessing millions, but about coveting millions, about setting my heart on making money.” It is possible to own riches and sit lightly to them, lose them without heartache. It is possible but rare. More often achieving the first million kindles the desire for more.

Just as in our time, so it was the time of Jesus: the rich were admired and considered blessed. Jesus reminds us that possessions may become a burden, robbing us of freedom, confusing our sense of who we are.

It is difficult to let go, to give up, to start again. Realising how little I can do on my own, I turn to God for help.

God, You heap your love upon us

like a parent providing for a family’s needs,

embracing a child with tenderness.

Forgive us

when, like spoiled children,

we treat Your generosity as our right,

or hug it possessively to ourselves.

Give us enough trust to live secure in Your love

and to share it freely with others

in open-handed confidence

that Your grace will never run out.  Amen.

Daily Devotions

In  1 Chronicles 26:26 we come across the role of being responsible for things dedicated to God.  “Shelomith and his kinsmen were over all the treasuries of the dedicated things that King David and the chiefs of the clans and the commanders over thousands and hundreds, and other army commanders had dedicated.”

In this text we see two treasury concepts, the idea of dedication treasure and the role of guarding the consecrated treasure.

Imagine a vast throne room. Seated on the throne is a great king. He’s surrounded by all manner of attendants, each on their best behaviour. Now imagine a box that sits at the king’s feet. From time to time the king reaches down and runs his hands through the contents. And what’s in the box? Jewels, gold, and gemstones particular to the king’s tastes. This box holds the king’s treasures, a collection that brings him great joy. Can you see that image in your mind’s eye?

The Hebrew word for this treasure is segulah, and it means “special possession.” That word is found in such Old Testament Scriptures often referring  to the nation of Israel. But that same word picture shows up in the New Testament by way of the pen of Peter the apostle. He’s describing the “people of God,” those who “have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:10), a collection now beyond the nation of Israel. In other words, he’s talking about those who believe in Jesus, both Jew and gentile. And he writes “But you are . . . God’s special possession” (v. 9).  

Imagine that! The great and powerful King of heaven considers you among His special treasures. He has rescued you from the grip of sin and death. He claims you as His own. The King’s voice says, “This one I love. This one is mine.” 

Heavenly Father, thank You that through faith in Christ, I am part of Your chosen generation. Enable me, in the power of the Holy Spirit and in the name of the Lord Jesus, to be a good and faithful witness to You in my earthly walk. May You be glorified and exulted in my life. May I sing forth Your eternal praises in all I say and do, from this day forward and forevermore. In Jesus' name, amen.

Daily Devotions

Today, staying with our theme, we delve into the Old Testament and its Hebrew understanding of treasure. Specifically we start with the Living Bible rendering this verse, “He will open to you his wonderful treasury of rain in the heavens, to give you fine crops every season. He will bless everything you do; and you shall lend to many nations, but shall not borrow from them.” Deuteronomy 28:12 

In many senses, this verse almost sounds like an ecological policy, one where we work as God's co-workers sharing the efforts of our labour with others. But notice, this is a one way transaction where the benefits are for others. The message paraphrases this as “You will lend to many nations but you yourself won’t have to take out a loan.”

To me, this sounds like, what God supplies to me is sufficient to meet my life’s needs. Or as C. S. Lewis puts it! “He who has God and many other things has no more than he who has God alone.”

The girl was in tears when she said to her father, "Dad, you gave me some terrible advice!"

"What did I tell you?" asked dad.

"You told me to put my money in that big bank, and now the bank is in trouble."

"What are you talking about? That’s one of the largest banks in the world," he said. "Surely there must be some mistake."

"I don’t think so," she sniffed. "They just returned one of my checks with a note saying, ‘Insufficient Funds.’"

The good news is that when we come before God with our needs, there is never a question of insufficient funds.

The promise of lending to other nations without borrowing also carries symbolic significance. It speaks to the idea of the Israelites being a blessed and favoured people, set apart by God for a specific purpose. This theme of being a light to the nations and a channel of blessing to others is echoed throughout the Old Testament and finds its fulfilment in the ultimate blessing of salvation through the coming of Jesus Christ.

In a spiritual sense, this verse can also be interpreted as a metaphor for God's abundant provision in the lives of believers. Just as the Lord promised to open his good treasure to the Israelites, so too does he promise to meet the needs of those who trust in him. The imagery of rain symbolises God's outpouring of blessings, both tangible and spiritual, upon those who are faithful and obedient to him.

Let nothing disturb thee,
Nothing affright thee
All things are passing;
God never changeth;
Patient endurance
Attaineth to all things;
Who God possesseth
In nothing is wanting;
God alone sufficeth.
                    

Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)—H. W. Longfellow (translator).

Daily Devotions

 

Following of from Jesus treasure teaching we considered yesterday, today in Matthew we find him saying, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:45-46

What do these words say to us?

Sunday Times’ journalist Matthew Parris – a man, who by his own confession, is not a Christian, wrote:

’The New Testament offers a picture of God, who does not sound at all vague. He has sent His Son to earth. He has distinct plans for each of us personally and can communicate directly with us.

We are capable of forming a direct relationship, individually with Him, and are commanded to try.

We are told that this can be done only through his son. And we are offered the prospect of eternal life – an afterlife in happy, blissful or glorious circumstances if we live this life in a certain manner.

Friends, if I believed that, or even a tenth of that, how could I care which version of the prayer book is used.

I would drop my job, sell my house, throw away all my possessions, leave my acquaintances and set out into the world burning with desire to know more...”

People can give their time and energy for many causes and reasons. We can spend a lot of time making enough money to buy a good house, travel the world. We give up some things we like to get what we want. We sell a car to buy another car. We may give up personal interests to look after the family well. Relationships demand  sacrifices for the joy of the love they bring us. We know that to get something, we may have to give something else up. 

This is the sort of idea Jesus puts before us. His message is that the kingdom of God has come among us now. In him, God is very close to the world and to us. The marks of this kingdom are qualities like compassion, justice, love, mercy, peace of mind and heart, closeness to God. These are treasures of life, and to live by them, we will find ourselves giving up other concerns.

Real and authentic discovery of God brings joy. It is the joy of being in love and of staying in love with the one who never changes. We may let go of other loves then - even of people who keep us from the love of God. We are committed only to the treasure in the field, the love of God and the love of people who bring us to God. Our concern is to bring alive the gospel of Jesus in the world. We pray that others may find the treasure through us.

We treasure many things in life. We treasure some more than others. Our faith and love of God, the love of others and our care for them - these are treasures. Hiding treasure seems to go against the inclination to share the good news. Perhaps there are times when I need to receive God's word quietly, turning it over in my heart, valuing it and considering my life in its light.

Ever giving Lord, I want to fully surrender to your call and serve your Kingdom with wholehearted devotion. You are worthy of my life, and your Kingdom is worth any price I must pay. Please help my faith to remain strong, my vision clear, and my heart set fully on doing your work. In the midst of this, I know you will keep me in your grace. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.