Read today’s texts first: Ezra 4; Psalms 113,127; Luke 9
God asks us to give up things to test us. If we pass
the test, He knows He can trust us with more,
not to keep but to pass on to others.
the test, He knows He can trust us with more,
not to keep but to pass on to others.
I’m intrigued by the paradox principles of Scripture: love your enemies, turn the other cheek, give and it shall be given, die and you’ll live, serve and you’ll lead, get under authority to have authority, and today’s word for the day, lose your life and you’ll find it. They defy human logic, but tap into divine wisdom.
While I was working at a Bible college, we rediscovered the powerful principles of giving. We faced a $50,000 deficit, prayed and then felt God telling us to give more than we ever have. So we did – in subsidies to students, curriculum to churches and resources to missions. After a year of serendipitous donations and conference bookings, we closed our books with a $35,000 surplus. Did the strategy make sense? Not really. Did it work? Without question.
We don’t obey the commands to gain anything for ourselves. If so, we miss the whole point. God asks us to give up things or ourselves to test us. If we pass the test, He knows He can trust us with more, not to keep but to pass on to others. We become a conduit of blessing. What is true for the specifics of life is true for life in general.
The American dream is founded on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. There’s a movie by that name starring Will Smith and his son. They are cute together and the story is heartwarming, but its bottom line is the pursuit of money and materialism at the cost of a marriage and a stable home. The trouble is the American dream usually turns into a nightmare, and happiness, when pursued, will most often give you the slip. Happiness, joy, contentment, fulfillment – all the things we want in life for ourselves, are only by-products. They only come when we surrender our lives to the One who created us and knows us best.
“Lord, this day like the rest of my life is yours. I give up control over my life because I know it’s a lose/win proposition.”
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