Month: May 2024

Even Little Things Matter to God

Matthew 6:4                                    Even Little Things Matter to God

“…so that your giving may be in secret.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (NIV).

 

This little waterfall adds little to the flow of the mighty Snake River in Idaho, and very few people even see it.  It’s back a poorly marked dirt road with barely a wide space in the road for parking.  We drove past it, even knowing it was there, but we did go back and find it.  It was worth the effort we made to see it.  To most people who drive by on U. S. route 26, it doesn’t even exist.  We were rewarded for making the extra effort to find it.  God, of course, knows where this sparkling gem is located, and He appreciates it.  He created it to be right where it is, and it fulfills its purpose of adding to the flow of the Snake River (and its secondary purpose of adding beauty to its surroundings.)

Those little things you do for the Church, the unnoticed things, may not be noticed by many, but God notices them.  He takes note of them, and He lays up rewards in Heaven for each of them.  It’s not just the small things you do for the Church; it’s the little things you do for your neighbors, your friends, and even strangers.  God notices them all, and He appreciates the heart that thought enough to perform these little things.  Often the person who is the recipient of the small favor does not even know who did it, but he or she appreciates it also.  He or she may even say a short prayer of thanksgiving and blessing upon the thoughtful person.  So don’t give up doing the small things.  They are noticed and appreciated, and rewards are laid up in heaven for the doer of them.

May God bless you greatly for all the small, thoughtful things you do.

Pray for Our Leaders

Hebrews 13:7                                                 Pray for our Leaders

“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you.  Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (NIV).

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My foray into the watering of my plants yesterday gave me a continuation of what I considered yesterday, the feeding we receive from the Word of God.  I could view the plants in our garden as individual plants or I can see them as a coordinated group.  All receive the same watering, but each one grows differently.  Their differences add “flavor” to our flower patch.   In fact, I might say that their differences complete the picture.  Each one looks better because of the others.   The same can be said for the Church.  We all receive the same teaching, but we may well react differently.  We each have separate and individual gifts for separate and individual works.  When we all receive the feeding well and grow as we receive the Word of God, the Church shines for our Lord and growth occurs.

It is the responsibility of the leader, the one we call “pastor” to preach, teach, admonish, correct, and train us in the ways of the Lord.  That’s a heavy responsibility, and we need to appreciate and pray for our pastors as they lead us forward in the work of the Kingdom.

As a congregation, we all receive the same teaching, and when we apply it to our lives in the manner intended by God, church growth occurs.  I don’t mean church growth in terms of numbers, although that may well occur, but growth in the lives and witness of each of us as followers of Jesus Christ.  As we learn and as we grow, we support and complement each other so that the work that God intends for our church is accomplished.  Our individual works bring “flavor” to the work of our church.  Our individual works move our church forward on the road of completion of our task.  Only when we work together can we shine the brightest for our Lord.  We each receive blessing from the written Word, and we each receive the spoken Word as given by our pastors as an additional blessing.  It is the intention of God that His chosen pastors will open the Scriptures beyond what we may see on our own.  It is indeed His intention that our pastors lead us in the direction God has for our church.

So, let us give thanks for our leaders, our pastors, and let us lift them in prayer so that each one may fulfill his or her purpose given by God.

The Word Waters My Soul

Matthew 4:4                                             The Word Waters My Soul

“Jesus answered, ‘It is written : “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”’” (NIV).

 

These words were spoken to satan by Jesus when He was being tempted, and they ring true today.  We have an entire book that contains sixty six specific messages penned by numerous writers over many, many years.  This Holy collection provides us with God’s Words to humankind.  I believe they were written over so many years by so many people so that we can see God’s love and care for us from many different perspectives of man.  But God has only one perspective, and it can be stated simply as, “I created you, and I love you!”

I was watering our flowers this morning, and I had a thought that this watering can be compared to the food we get when we read the Word of God.  While I am watering the flowers, they are receiving their refreshment directly from the faucet or watering can, and they can drink all they need to satisfy their immediate thirst.  But some water is not immediately absorbed, but it goes into the soil so it can be drawn upon later when the flow of water is not present.

When I read the Word, I am immediately refreshed by the Word of God, and I rejoice in knowing that I am reading the very thoughts of God.  He meant these words for me today, just as He meant them for all who read them whenever they read them.  The words that the prophets and Jesus spoke were immediately absorbed by those who heard them, and they have been alive for thousands of years because they are relevant to everyone born of man.

Beyond the immediate blessing while reading the Word is the continued blessing we receive as we think about those words over the next few days or even weeks sometimes.  Frequently I receive a revelation about the Scripture that I read several days later.  It has been demonstrated to me many times that the Holy Scriptures have more layers of meaning that I can possibly absorb at one sitting.  I need to stretch my roots deeper in order to glean the refreshing that has sunk deeper in my mind waiting for me to consider it.  That’s also one way in which my Bible reading reminds me of a certain class of animals, the ruminates. I need to do as they do, bring back the nourishment that I haven’t yet fully digested and ruminate on it.

The thoughts I received as I was watering my plants this morning have served to remind me to look beyond the immediate blessing I get when I read His Word.  There are always additional blessings waiting to be harvested.