Exodus 31:1-11
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. 4 He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. 5 He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft!
6 “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:
7 the Tabernacle;
the Ark of the Covenant;
the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement;
all the furnishings of the Tabernacle;
8 the table and its utensils;
the pure gold lampstand with all its accessories;
the incense altar;
9 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils;
the washbasin with its stand;
10 the beautifully stitched garments—the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests;
11 the anointing oil;
the fragrant incense for the Holy Place.
The craftsmen must make everything as I have commanded you.”
What I find very comforting here is that gives gifts to each of us. Some are gifted in the area of finance, some in public speaking, some in teaching, some in dealing with people and some in crafts. Basically, God gives gifts to those as He sees fit to give. I do not have a gift for working on mechanical things. I am not a handyman when it comes to carpentry or to working on a vehicle. I praise God for those who are gifted in those areas because they take care of the things I am not good at.
When you go on to read the rest of Exodus and you see the detail in what God had planned for the construction of what He listed in verses 7-11 above you can see that it would take those like Bezalel and Oholiab to complete the work. God would not have asked me to construct those things. He has gifted me in other areas. Just last night our furnace wasn't working properly and I sat and looked at it and could not figure out what was going on. I called a neighbor who is in that field and over the phone he had me do two simple things and the furnace was working again. That is the wisdom of God flowing through that person to assist me in an area that I am not gifted in.
It is no surprise that God used the word wisdom when discribing what He had gifted these men with. A definition of wisdom is that one is skillfull. One truly does need to have wisdom to be skillfull. Since true wisdom starts with fearing God, one can tell where a persons wisdom comes from. The devil does try to imitate the wisdom from God, but all his wisdom is good for is to detract, disguise, deceive, destroy or detour people from following God's plan for their lives. You can tell the difference between the two.
Another area where you can tell the gifting from God is in the area of musical talent. As Keith Moore says, "Everyone should sing, but not all should record." There are so many people that God has gifted in the area of music. Some use their talent for the purpose of furthering God's Kingdom here on earth and some use it to lead people towards destruction.
My questions for you today would be these:
Have you identified what area God has gifted you in?
If so, are you working and using those giftings for God?
If not, why not?
If you ask Him to show you or reveal to you what He has gifted you to do He will show you. It may be through the Word it may be through another person. Listen and He will direct you. Once you have identified those areas where God has gifted you, ask Him how you can use those giftings to serve Him. It may be a new profession, it may be a volunteer opportunity to serve at your church or it may be a revelation that what you are doing now can be used to serve Him.
Heavenly Father, I thank You that You give gifts to each us and that those gifts are designed to serve You. I know that You have created me the way I am to be doing the things that I am doing to serve You fully and completely. All that I am is because of Your love for me. You know my beginning and my end and everything in between. You know the numbers of hairs on my head, even if I try to conceal them by shaving them. You have given me specific gifts and talents to be used to serve You and carry out Your plan here on earth. Holy Spirit continue to guide me and direct me as to where and what I need to do to follow His plan for my life and how to use the talents He has given me to their maximum effect for His Kingdom. I praise You this day, the last day of 2008. I thank You that Your direct for me to start the new year is to get into areas of the Word I have not been before. I praise You for leading me, directing me, creating me and gifting me to serve You. In Jesus name, Amen.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
A False Apreciation Will Get Its Reward
Genesis 30:25-43
25 Soon after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Please release me so I can go home to my own country. 26 Let me take my wives and children, for I have earned them by serving you, and let me be on my way. You certainly know how hard I have worked for you.”
27 “Please listen to me,” Laban replied. “I have become wealthy, for the Lord has blessed me because of you. 28 Tell me how much I owe you. Whatever it is, I’ll pay it.”
29 Jacob replied, “You know how hard I’ve worked for you, and how your flocks and herds have grown under my care. 30 You had little indeed before I came, but your wealth has increased enormously. The Lord has blessed you through everything I’ve done. But now, what about me? When can I start providing for my own family?”
31 “What wages do you want?” Laban asked again.
Jacob replied, “Don’t give me anything. Just do this one thing, and I’ll continue to tend and watch over your flocks. 32 Let me inspect your flocks today and remove all the sheep and goats that are speckled or spotted, along with all the black sheep. Give these to me as my wages. 33 In the future, when you check on the animals you have given me as my wages, you’ll see that I have been honest. If you find in my flock any goats without speckles or spots, or any sheep that are not black, you will know that I have stolen them from you.”
34 “All right,” Laban replied. “It will be as you say.” 35 But that very day Laban went out and removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted or had white patches, and all the black sheep. He placed them in the care of his own sons, 36 who took them a three-days’ journey from where Jacob was. Meanwhile, Jacob stayed and cared for the rest of Laban’s flock.
37 Then Jacob took some fresh branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled off strips of bark, making white streaks on them. 38 Then he placed these peeled branches in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, for that was where they mated. 39 And when they mated in front of the white-streaked branches, they gave birth to young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 40 Jacob separated those lambs from Laban’s flock. And at mating time he turned the flock to face Laban’s animals that were streaked or black. This is how he built his own flock instead of increasing Laban’s.
41 Whenever the stronger females were ready to mate, Jacob would place the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of them. Then they would mate in front of the branches. 42 But he didn’t do this with the weaker ones, so the weaker lambs belonged to Laban, and the stronger ones were Jacob’s. 43 As a result, Jacob became very wealthy, with large flocks of sheep and goats, male and female servants, and many camels and donkeys.
What I see happening here in this story is a man who had very little, swindled another man into working for him for 14 years, becomes wealthy because of another man's work and still tries to swindle him again. Apparently Laban thinks the only way to get things in life is by swindling others. Jacob was known to swindle a blessing from his father, but in his dealings with Laban he appeared to be a hard working man. Because the blessing of the Lord was on Jacob his father-in-law prospered greatly.
In verses 27 and 28 Laban pretty much admits where his wealth has come from, but they appear to be empty words. The Word speaks about what will happen if you do this:
Proverbs 28:11
11 Rich people may think they are wise, but a poor person with discernment can see right through them.
Proverbs 29:6
6 Evil people are trapped by sin, but the righteous escape, shouting for joy.
Laban thinks he is wise by trying to hide all the goats and sheep that matched what Jacob had said would be his payment for the work he had done. Not only did this plan backfire on Laban, but Jacob saw right through his father-in-law's worthless words and became more wealthy than him. Why would Laban think that Jacob would not have known that he had done what he did? Jacob was the one who was tending to the flocks and knew what was there.
I know that he would have known because when I was growing up on the farm we knew what animals we had, we knew when a calf was born who their mother was by looking at them and we knew if there was anything wrong with our herds. When you spend time with the animals that you tend you get to know them. You know their markings, their way of how they do things, etc. You learn when something is wrong with them and try to prevent bad things from happening to them.
I don't know how Laban thought he would be able to get away with his plan. Jacob saw what had happened and the Lord gave him wisdom as to how to handle the situation. Notice what Jacob didn't do, complain. He didn't run to Laban and accuse him of swindling him, again. He didn't pray to God to smite Laban. He didn't run around and tell everyone what Laban had done to him and how unfair that was. He stayed and cared for the rest of the flock. He was rewarded for his loyalty to his word with his father-in-law, despite the way he was treated.
Proverbs 27:18 speaks to this:
18 As workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eat the fruit, so workers who protect their employer’s interests will be rewarded.
These words in Proverbs were written many centuries after Jacob had lived his life. Maybe it was Jacob who inspired these verses to be written?
Lord, I pray that I have the discernment to see through the devilish wisdom that some will use to entrap me or swindle me. I pray that Your wisdom will flow through me in my everyday life so that I will increase in all areas of my life. It is by Your plan that I will succeed and by Your grace that I have the ability to increase. I thank You this day for Your Word and for Your revealing timeless truths to me each day. Continue to reveal more of Yourself to me through the Word and Your Holy Spirit. I praise You and glorify You more today than I did yesterday. Amen.
25 Soon after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Please release me so I can go home to my own country. 26 Let me take my wives and children, for I have earned them by serving you, and let me be on my way. You certainly know how hard I have worked for you.”
27 “Please listen to me,” Laban replied. “I have become wealthy, for the Lord has blessed me because of you. 28 Tell me how much I owe you. Whatever it is, I’ll pay it.”
29 Jacob replied, “You know how hard I’ve worked for you, and how your flocks and herds have grown under my care. 30 You had little indeed before I came, but your wealth has increased enormously. The Lord has blessed you through everything I’ve done. But now, what about me? When can I start providing for my own family?”
31 “What wages do you want?” Laban asked again.
Jacob replied, “Don’t give me anything. Just do this one thing, and I’ll continue to tend and watch over your flocks. 32 Let me inspect your flocks today and remove all the sheep and goats that are speckled or spotted, along with all the black sheep. Give these to me as my wages. 33 In the future, when you check on the animals you have given me as my wages, you’ll see that I have been honest. If you find in my flock any goats without speckles or spots, or any sheep that are not black, you will know that I have stolen them from you.”
34 “All right,” Laban replied. “It will be as you say.” 35 But that very day Laban went out and removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted or had white patches, and all the black sheep. He placed them in the care of his own sons, 36 who took them a three-days’ journey from where Jacob was. Meanwhile, Jacob stayed and cared for the rest of Laban’s flock.
37 Then Jacob took some fresh branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled off strips of bark, making white streaks on them. 38 Then he placed these peeled branches in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, for that was where they mated. 39 And when they mated in front of the white-streaked branches, they gave birth to young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 40 Jacob separated those lambs from Laban’s flock. And at mating time he turned the flock to face Laban’s animals that were streaked or black. This is how he built his own flock instead of increasing Laban’s.
41 Whenever the stronger females were ready to mate, Jacob would place the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of them. Then they would mate in front of the branches. 42 But he didn’t do this with the weaker ones, so the weaker lambs belonged to Laban, and the stronger ones were Jacob’s. 43 As a result, Jacob became very wealthy, with large flocks of sheep and goats, male and female servants, and many camels and donkeys.
What I see happening here in this story is a man who had very little, swindled another man into working for him for 14 years, becomes wealthy because of another man's work and still tries to swindle him again. Apparently Laban thinks the only way to get things in life is by swindling others. Jacob was known to swindle a blessing from his father, but in his dealings with Laban he appeared to be a hard working man. Because the blessing of the Lord was on Jacob his father-in-law prospered greatly.
In verses 27 and 28 Laban pretty much admits where his wealth has come from, but they appear to be empty words. The Word speaks about what will happen if you do this:
Proverbs 28:11
11 Rich people may think they are wise, but a poor person with discernment can see right through them.
Proverbs 29:6
6 Evil people are trapped by sin, but the righteous escape, shouting for joy.
Laban thinks he is wise by trying to hide all the goats and sheep that matched what Jacob had said would be his payment for the work he had done. Not only did this plan backfire on Laban, but Jacob saw right through his father-in-law's worthless words and became more wealthy than him. Why would Laban think that Jacob would not have known that he had done what he did? Jacob was the one who was tending to the flocks and knew what was there.
I know that he would have known because when I was growing up on the farm we knew what animals we had, we knew when a calf was born who their mother was by looking at them and we knew if there was anything wrong with our herds. When you spend time with the animals that you tend you get to know them. You know their markings, their way of how they do things, etc. You learn when something is wrong with them and try to prevent bad things from happening to them.
I don't know how Laban thought he would be able to get away with his plan. Jacob saw what had happened and the Lord gave him wisdom as to how to handle the situation. Notice what Jacob didn't do, complain. He didn't run to Laban and accuse him of swindling him, again. He didn't pray to God to smite Laban. He didn't run around and tell everyone what Laban had done to him and how unfair that was. He stayed and cared for the rest of the flock. He was rewarded for his loyalty to his word with his father-in-law, despite the way he was treated.
Proverbs 27:18 speaks to this:
18 As workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eat the fruit, so workers who protect their employer’s interests will be rewarded.
These words in Proverbs were written many centuries after Jacob had lived his life. Maybe it was Jacob who inspired these verses to be written?
Lord, I pray that I have the discernment to see through the devilish wisdom that some will use to entrap me or swindle me. I pray that Your wisdom will flow through me in my everyday life so that I will increase in all areas of my life. It is by Your plan that I will succeed and by Your grace that I have the ability to increase. I thank You this day for Your Word and for Your revealing timeless truths to me each day. Continue to reveal more of Yourself to me through the Word and Your Holy Spirit. I praise You and glorify You more today than I did yesterday. Amen.
Monday, December 29, 2008
What’s Your Reputation Like?
1 Samuel 29:1-11
1 The entire Philistine army now mobilized at Aphek, and the Israelites camped at the spring in Jezreel. 2 As the Philistine rulers were leading out their troops in groups of hundreds and thousands, David and his men marched at the rear with King Achish. 3 But the Philistine commanders demanded, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish told them, “This is David, the servant of King Saul of Israel. He’s been with me for years, and I’ve never found a single fault in him from the day he arrived until today.”
4 But the Philistine commanders were angry. “Send him back to the town you’ve given him!” they demanded. “He can’t go into the battle with us. What if he turns against us in battle and becomes our adversary? Is there any better way for him to reconcile himself with his master than by handing our heads over to him? 5 Isn’t this the same David about whom the women of Israel sing in their dances,
‘Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands’?”
6 So Achish finally summoned David and said to him, “I swear by the Lord that you have been a trustworthy ally. I think you should go with me into battle, for I’ve never found a single flaw in you from the day you arrived until today. But the other Philistine rulers won’t hear of it. 7 Please don’t upset them, but go back quietly.”
8 “What have I done to deserve this treatment?” David demanded. “What have you ever found in your servant, that I can’t go and fight the enemies of my lord the king?”
9 But Achish insisted, “As far as I’m concerned, you’re as perfect as an angel of God. But the Philistine commanders are afraid to have you with them in the battle. 10 Now get up early in the morning, and leave with your men as soon as it gets light.”
11 So David and his men headed back into the land of the Philistines, while the Philistine army went on to Jezreel.
David had fled from Israel and the pursuit of King Saul, who was trying to kill him, and had settled in the land of the Philistines. This was the same people to whom Goliath was a warrior. David lived among them for over one year and the King never had an issue with David or his men with him. As far as King Achish was concerned David would live in his country forever. King Achish either did not know about David being anointed as king over Israel or he thought that it wasn't going to happen.
I can see why the commanders of the Philistine army would not want David to join them, even though he had not attacked them or their army since he lived amongst them. They were right in their thinking that David could turn against them at any time.
What I saw in this story that standed out were the statements made by the commanders and by King Achish himself about David. The commanders cited a song that is sung by the women of Israel while the dance, "Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands." King Achish said, "As far as I'm concerned, you're as perfect as an angel of God." How many of us could have a group of people say this about us? This was coming from people whom David was very familiar with, especially after having killed their greatest warrior when he was a boy. That's a great reputation. It's no wonder why he had that reputation though. He was following the Lord and seeking Him in what he was doing. This is the same type of reputation we should have with our adversaries and colleagues alike.
Heavenly Father I thank You that You were able to use a vessel like David to show me an example of the type of reputation that I can strive to have with my adversaries. May my conduct be a good reflection of You in everything I do. I pray that Your love flow through me to those I come into contact with each day and may their interaction with me lead them to get to know You in a more personal way. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.
1 The entire Philistine army now mobilized at Aphek, and the Israelites camped at the spring in Jezreel. 2 As the Philistine rulers were leading out their troops in groups of hundreds and thousands, David and his men marched at the rear with King Achish. 3 But the Philistine commanders demanded, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish told them, “This is David, the servant of King Saul of Israel. He’s been with me for years, and I’ve never found a single fault in him from the day he arrived until today.”
4 But the Philistine commanders were angry. “Send him back to the town you’ve given him!” they demanded. “He can’t go into the battle with us. What if he turns against us in battle and becomes our adversary? Is there any better way for him to reconcile himself with his master than by handing our heads over to him? 5 Isn’t this the same David about whom the women of Israel sing in their dances,
‘Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands’?”
6 So Achish finally summoned David and said to him, “I swear by the Lord that you have been a trustworthy ally. I think you should go with me into battle, for I’ve never found a single flaw in you from the day you arrived until today. But the other Philistine rulers won’t hear of it. 7 Please don’t upset them, but go back quietly.”
8 “What have I done to deserve this treatment?” David demanded. “What have you ever found in your servant, that I can’t go and fight the enemies of my lord the king?”
9 But Achish insisted, “As far as I’m concerned, you’re as perfect as an angel of God. But the Philistine commanders are afraid to have you with them in the battle. 10 Now get up early in the morning, and leave with your men as soon as it gets light.”
11 So David and his men headed back into the land of the Philistines, while the Philistine army went on to Jezreel.
David had fled from Israel and the pursuit of King Saul, who was trying to kill him, and had settled in the land of the Philistines. This was the same people to whom Goliath was a warrior. David lived among them for over one year and the King never had an issue with David or his men with him. As far as King Achish was concerned David would live in his country forever. King Achish either did not know about David being anointed as king over Israel or he thought that it wasn't going to happen.
I can see why the commanders of the Philistine army would not want David to join them, even though he had not attacked them or their army since he lived amongst them. They were right in their thinking that David could turn against them at any time.
What I saw in this story that standed out were the statements made by the commanders and by King Achish himself about David. The commanders cited a song that is sung by the women of Israel while the dance, "Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands." King Achish said, "As far as I'm concerned, you're as perfect as an angel of God." How many of us could have a group of people say this about us? This was coming from people whom David was very familiar with, especially after having killed their greatest warrior when he was a boy. That's a great reputation. It's no wonder why he had that reputation though. He was following the Lord and seeking Him in what he was doing. This is the same type of reputation we should have with our adversaries and colleagues alike.
Heavenly Father I thank You that You were able to use a vessel like David to show me an example of the type of reputation that I can strive to have with my adversaries. May my conduct be a good reflection of You in everything I do. I pray that Your love flow through me to those I come into contact with each day and may their interaction with me lead them to get to know You in a more personal way. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
A Lesson Learned From Grandpa
Genesis 28:20-22
20 Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, 21 and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God. 22 And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.”
I really like this story because it reminds me of lessons I learned from my grandpa. When I was one year old my mother divorced my dad and moved my older brother and me to Minnesota from New Jersey, where we were born. She re-married my step-dad when I was three years old. I grew up on a farm in Southern Minnesota and lived much of that time on the same farm site as my step-dad’s parents. My step-dad went from being a single man to a husband and a father of two boys when he married my mom. His parents did not have to show us love or even like us, but they did. Because I was so young when my mom moved us to Minnesota I only knew of my step-dad and his parents as my own, until I was around 7 years old. Then I realized that I had two dads, three grandpas and three grandmas. That was pretty cool.
Back to my step-dads father, Hjalmer. Everybody called him Jim. He raised 6 kids on the farm and had already lived for 72 years before I came into the picture. At his age and being Norwegian he was not one to show emotion a whole lot. He never really discussed his faith with me or with anyone else that I knew of. He was the kind that just lived it. You could see in his actions the faith he had. It wasn’t until he died that I found out he used to read the bible everyday before he went to sleep. He had read through it many times. At some point in time he had accepted Jesus as his savior and it showed by the way he lived his life. I wrote something that I shared at his funeral that the Lord gave to me in the middle of the night. I would like to share that with you today. (I will get to the verses after that.)
Thank You
I have a lot to be thankful for this day. I’m Thankful that I had the opportunity to get to know grandpa for over 25 years. I’m thankful that he accepted me into his family and treated my and loved me like I was one of his own. I’m thankful that he cared enough about me to discipline me when I needed it. I’m thankful that he loved me, even though he didn’t have to say it everyday. I know that he loved me. I’m thankful that he loved his family and worked hard to provide for them. He set an example for his children and grandchildren that many in this family have followed. He was a hard worker. I’m thankful he was married to grandma for 64 years. That is an awesom example for me to try and follow. I’m thankful he was an avid reader. Although he probably didn’t read all kinds of books, he read the most important book anyone can read many times. I’m talking about the book that has the answers to life’s questions, the Bible. He used to read it when he went to bed. He didn’t just read it once, but many times. He knew more about the bible than most people.
I’m thankful he found it important to bring his family here to worship on Sundays. He did everything he was supposed to as the spiritual head of his household for his family. Even though some of the pastors and teachers probably weren’t too thankful for having some of the Finstad boys in their classes. I;m thankful that he not only attended Albion, but he was an active partner in its ministry. He didn’t preach or sing, but he served on many boards and committees. He never aspired to have the spotlight.
I’m thankful that everyone here was able to share in his life. He obviously touched many people’s hearts to have all of you here. I’m thankful that he was able to make it to my wedding. I wanted him to see me make a commitment to my wife that I will be with her through anything that life can throw at us. I’m thankful that he was alive to see my son. Almost every time we went to the nursing home, he would hold Brady. One of the things I said to myself when I was growing up was that I wanted to provide grandpa with a great grandchild. Maybe it wa because I wanted to show him that I could a father like him. Although I don’t think I can convince my wife to have five more kids. More than anything though, I wanted to show him that I could raise my family the way he raised his.
I’m thankful that grandpa had the one thing he could never ever give to anyone else. He had, at some point in his life, accepted the gift of salvation, which is taught and preached here every Sunday. With the knowledge of having this gift, he wasn’t afraid of dying. He knew that when he died he was going to a better place. He knew that God loved him so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross for him and take away all of his sins.
On Monday at 11:45 in the morning he walked through the gates of heaven and looked into the eyes of Jesus. What an awesome experience that must be to see that place and to be able to talk to Him face to face. He knows now the answers to all of the questions he ever had. I’m thankful that when I die and go to heaven I will walk through the gates and after meeting Jesus face to face, I will get to see grandpa and all of the other relatives and friends who have gone there before me. If there is one thing you want to be thankful of today, let it be that you have also accepted this free gift from God, so that when you die you know that you will get to see grandpa again when you go to heaven. So grandpa, all I can say today is THANK YOU.
I do not know to this day if anyone in my family committed their life to the Lord through this, but it was an opportunity that God brought about for me to share the Good News with them, all of them, in one spot at the same time. I pray that they did learn from grandpa just like Jacob did from his grandpa.
Jacob has just had his dream about a stairway to heaven and the Lord promised him that all the families of earth will be blessed through him and his descendants. Jacob was on his way to Haran to find his uncle Laban and marry one of his daughters when he stopped and slept in this place with his head on a stone. He decided after the dream that the Lord was in that place and named it Bethel.
Verses 20 and 21 are more like a challenge to God than they are a statement of his faith. He used the word "if" when he should not have. Notice in verse 21 he makes a statement that comes from learning from his dad and grandpa, "I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me." This is a statement about tithing of what God has given to him and the law had still not be given through Moses. This is another sign that the tithe is a measure of our level of worship to God. If we can't acknowledge Him by bringing to Him one-tenth of what He so freely gives to us, then we are not truly following Him.
Heavenly Father I bring to you today my tithe, joyfully and without restraint. I offer to you one-tenth of what You have so freely given to me. I give to You one-tenth of my time, my talent and my money. May the other nine-tenths be blessed beyond measure so that You get all the glory and honor and praise. Amen.
20 Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, 21 and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God. 22 And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.”
I really like this story because it reminds me of lessons I learned from my grandpa. When I was one year old my mother divorced my dad and moved my older brother and me to Minnesota from New Jersey, where we were born. She re-married my step-dad when I was three years old. I grew up on a farm in Southern Minnesota and lived much of that time on the same farm site as my step-dad’s parents. My step-dad went from being a single man to a husband and a father of two boys when he married my mom. His parents did not have to show us love or even like us, but they did. Because I was so young when my mom moved us to Minnesota I only knew of my step-dad and his parents as my own, until I was around 7 years old. Then I realized that I had two dads, three grandpas and three grandmas. That was pretty cool.
Back to my step-dads father, Hjalmer. Everybody called him Jim. He raised 6 kids on the farm and had already lived for 72 years before I came into the picture. At his age and being Norwegian he was not one to show emotion a whole lot. He never really discussed his faith with me or with anyone else that I knew of. He was the kind that just lived it. You could see in his actions the faith he had. It wasn’t until he died that I found out he used to read the bible everyday before he went to sleep. He had read through it many times. At some point in time he had accepted Jesus as his savior and it showed by the way he lived his life. I wrote something that I shared at his funeral that the Lord gave to me in the middle of the night. I would like to share that with you today. (I will get to the verses after that.)
Thank You
I have a lot to be thankful for this day. I’m Thankful that I had the opportunity to get to know grandpa for over 25 years. I’m thankful that he accepted me into his family and treated my and loved me like I was one of his own. I’m thankful that he cared enough about me to discipline me when I needed it. I’m thankful that he loved me, even though he didn’t have to say it everyday. I know that he loved me. I’m thankful that he loved his family and worked hard to provide for them. He set an example for his children and grandchildren that many in this family have followed. He was a hard worker. I’m thankful he was married to grandma for 64 years. That is an awesom example for me to try and follow. I’m thankful he was an avid reader. Although he probably didn’t read all kinds of books, he read the most important book anyone can read many times. I’m talking about the book that has the answers to life’s questions, the Bible. He used to read it when he went to bed. He didn’t just read it once, but many times. He knew more about the bible than most people.
I’m thankful he found it important to bring his family here to worship on Sundays. He did everything he was supposed to as the spiritual head of his household for his family. Even though some of the pastors and teachers probably weren’t too thankful for having some of the Finstad boys in their classes. I;m thankful that he not only attended Albion, but he was an active partner in its ministry. He didn’t preach or sing, but he served on many boards and committees. He never aspired to have the spotlight.
I’m thankful that everyone here was able to share in his life. He obviously touched many people’s hearts to have all of you here. I’m thankful that he was able to make it to my wedding. I wanted him to see me make a commitment to my wife that I will be with her through anything that life can throw at us. I’m thankful that he was alive to see my son. Almost every time we went to the nursing home, he would hold Brady. One of the things I said to myself when I was growing up was that I wanted to provide grandpa with a great grandchild. Maybe it wa because I wanted to show him that I could a father like him. Although I don’t think I can convince my wife to have five more kids. More than anything though, I wanted to show him that I could raise my family the way he raised his.
I’m thankful that grandpa had the one thing he could never ever give to anyone else. He had, at some point in his life, accepted the gift of salvation, which is taught and preached here every Sunday. With the knowledge of having this gift, he wasn’t afraid of dying. He knew that when he died he was going to a better place. He knew that God loved him so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross for him and take away all of his sins.
On Monday at 11:45 in the morning he walked through the gates of heaven and looked into the eyes of Jesus. What an awesome experience that must be to see that place and to be able to talk to Him face to face. He knows now the answers to all of the questions he ever had. I’m thankful that when I die and go to heaven I will walk through the gates and after meeting Jesus face to face, I will get to see grandpa and all of the other relatives and friends who have gone there before me. If there is one thing you want to be thankful of today, let it be that you have also accepted this free gift from God, so that when you die you know that you will get to see grandpa again when you go to heaven. So grandpa, all I can say today is THANK YOU.
I do not know to this day if anyone in my family committed their life to the Lord through this, but it was an opportunity that God brought about for me to share the Good News with them, all of them, in one spot at the same time. I pray that they did learn from grandpa just like Jacob did from his grandpa.
Jacob has just had his dream about a stairway to heaven and the Lord promised him that all the families of earth will be blessed through him and his descendants. Jacob was on his way to Haran to find his uncle Laban and marry one of his daughters when he stopped and slept in this place with his head on a stone. He decided after the dream that the Lord was in that place and named it Bethel.
Verses 20 and 21 are more like a challenge to God than they are a statement of his faith. He used the word "if" when he should not have. Notice in verse 21 he makes a statement that comes from learning from his dad and grandpa, "I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me." This is a statement about tithing of what God has given to him and the law had still not be given through Moses. This is another sign that the tithe is a measure of our level of worship to God. If we can't acknowledge Him by bringing to Him one-tenth of what He so freely gives to us, then we are not truly following Him.
Heavenly Father I bring to you today my tithe, joyfully and without restraint. I offer to you one-tenth of what You have so freely given to me. I give to You one-tenth of my time, my talent and my money. May the other nine-tenths be blessed beyond measure so that You get all the glory and honor and praise. Amen.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Stewardship Basics
Proverbs 27:23-27
23 Know the state of your flocks,
and put your heart into caring for your herds,
24 for riches don’t last forever,
and the crown might not be passed to the next generation.
25 After the hay is harvested and the new crop appears
and the mountain grasses are gathered in,
26 your sheep will provide wool for clothing,
and your goats will provide the price of a field.
27 And you will have enough goats’ milk for yourself,
your family, and your servant girls.
These verses speak volumes on how our stewardship of what God has given to us should go. We are to be wise with what we have and not be wasteful and irresponsible.
Verse 23 is one that is a little harder for most to grasp since they would say they are not into agriculture and don't have flocks and herds of any animals. What the Lord is saying here is that we should know the state of our assets. What I get from this would be like this, I should know, if someone would ask, how much I owe on any loans I have, what the interest rate is, what the principle balance is and how long it will take to pay it off on the current schedule. I should also know what I have in any retirement account, what the rate of return is on the investment and where it is headed. I should know what condition my house is in, my car, my furniture, my appliances, my yard, my tools, etc. I should know what is going on with my relationships, family, friends, work, etc. As I know the state of my flocks I then put my heart into caring for all of that "stuff" so that I can be aware of what God may need me to use for His plan and purpose for my life and that if He asks me to give my car to someone I know any issues there may be with it and inform that person.
Verse 24 is one that should be more realistic to a lot of people in this day. Riches don't last forever so stop acting like they do. Riches in this world are available for rust, destruction, loss, theft and swindle. This is why Jesus instructs us in Matthew:
Matthew 6:19-21
19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."
If we persist in our thinking that we need to accumulate for ourselves the stuff of this world then we will not be storing up for ourselves in heaven where we will have true riches. This doesn't say that we are not to be rich here on earth. As with all things with God it is our heart condition that He is most concerned with. If God knows that He can entrust me with $1,000,000.00 because He knows that most of that will be used for increasing His Kingdom then when I earn that much I will know what to use it for. If He knows that I will be wasteful and irresponsible with it then He will not bring it into my hands. The devil does this with people all the time. Most people who win money in lotteries or through inheritance don't use the money for what it should be. Winning a lot of money doesn't change a person's attitude towards money, it just magnifies their thoughts about money and the problems they have with it.
A study was done on the first 20 winners of the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes and only one of the 20 still had their winnings and the rest were in worst conditions than before they won the money. Here are some more insights from the Word:
Proverbs 10:16
16 The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin.
Proverbs 11:4, 18, 24-26, 28
4 Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death.
18 Evil people get rich for the moment, but the reward of the godly will last.
24 Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.
25 The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
26 People curse those who hoard their grain, but they bless the one who sells in time of need.
28 Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.
Proverbs 12:10-12, 27
10 The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel.
11 A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies has no sense. 12 Thieves are jealous of each other’s loot, but the godly are well rooted and bear their own fruit.
27 Lazy people don’t even cook the game they catch, but the diligent make use of everything they find.
Proverbs 13:4, 13
4 Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.
11 Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.
These are just a few but the last one emphases what I was saying before. The supposed wealth one gets from get-rich-quick schemes (lotteries, insurance frauds, etc.) doesn't change the heart of the person about what money they have or how to handle it, it only magnifies any issues they have with it.
Verses 25-27 are the ones that really excite me. I know that by working hard and having the right heart attitude towards what God entrusts me with that I will have clothing, I will own land and I will have enough food for not only my family, but for my servants as well. Did you see that? I have servants!
This can be looked at in a way that I think I know I hadn't thought of until the Lord just showed it to me. The word "servant" in verse 27 doesn't necessarily mean what I would envision it to mean. A servant is defined as a person in the service of another. Would someone who handles my investment portfolio be considered as a person in the service of another? Would an employee who works for me be considered a person in the service of another? Would a person who picks up and delivers my mail be considered a person in the service of another? Would the pastors at my church be considered a person in the service of another? I would answer all those questions with a yes.
This means that because of the hard work and heart condition of the flocks, herds, crops, goats, sheep, etc., that the Lord entrusts to me that those who work in the service of another will also prosper. Because I am paying my bills on time, my taxes that are required, my tithes and offerings or my employees proper wages they will also be able to prosper, if they too are learning from the Word how to be good stewards.
Heavenly Father I thank you today for what You have entrusted to me. Continue to reveal to me any areas that I need to improve in when it comes to the "stuff" You have given to me. All that I have is available to You to use for Your purposes here on earth so that more can be added to Your Kingdom. Reveal to me anything I have that You need and how You want me to use it for You. I praise You for Your Word and for the Holy Spirit revealing to me and drawing me to Your love for me and for those I come into contact with each day. Let me be a blessing to them and may You get all the glory, honor and praise for what You accomplish. In Jesus name, Amen.
23 Know the state of your flocks,
and put your heart into caring for your herds,
24 for riches don’t last forever,
and the crown might not be passed to the next generation.
25 After the hay is harvested and the new crop appears
and the mountain grasses are gathered in,
26 your sheep will provide wool for clothing,
and your goats will provide the price of a field.
27 And you will have enough goats’ milk for yourself,
your family, and your servant girls.
These verses speak volumes on how our stewardship of what God has given to us should go. We are to be wise with what we have and not be wasteful and irresponsible.
Verse 23 is one that is a little harder for most to grasp since they would say they are not into agriculture and don't have flocks and herds of any animals. What the Lord is saying here is that we should know the state of our assets. What I get from this would be like this, I should know, if someone would ask, how much I owe on any loans I have, what the interest rate is, what the principle balance is and how long it will take to pay it off on the current schedule. I should also know what I have in any retirement account, what the rate of return is on the investment and where it is headed. I should know what condition my house is in, my car, my furniture, my appliances, my yard, my tools, etc. I should know what is going on with my relationships, family, friends, work, etc. As I know the state of my flocks I then put my heart into caring for all of that "stuff" so that I can be aware of what God may need me to use for His plan and purpose for my life and that if He asks me to give my car to someone I know any issues there may be with it and inform that person.
Verse 24 is one that should be more realistic to a lot of people in this day. Riches don't last forever so stop acting like they do. Riches in this world are available for rust, destruction, loss, theft and swindle. This is why Jesus instructs us in Matthew:
Matthew 6:19-21
19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."
If we persist in our thinking that we need to accumulate for ourselves the stuff of this world then we will not be storing up for ourselves in heaven where we will have true riches. This doesn't say that we are not to be rich here on earth. As with all things with God it is our heart condition that He is most concerned with. If God knows that He can entrust me with $1,000,000.00 because He knows that most of that will be used for increasing His Kingdom then when I earn that much I will know what to use it for. If He knows that I will be wasteful and irresponsible with it then He will not bring it into my hands. The devil does this with people all the time. Most people who win money in lotteries or through inheritance don't use the money for what it should be. Winning a lot of money doesn't change a person's attitude towards money, it just magnifies their thoughts about money and the problems they have with it.
A study was done on the first 20 winners of the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes and only one of the 20 still had their winnings and the rest were in worst conditions than before they won the money. Here are some more insights from the Word:
Proverbs 10:16
16 The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin.
Proverbs 11:4, 18, 24-26, 28
4 Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death.
18 Evil people get rich for the moment, but the reward of the godly will last.
24 Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.
25 The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
26 People curse those who hoard their grain, but they bless the one who sells in time of need.
28 Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.
Proverbs 12:10-12, 27
10 The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel.
11 A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies has no sense. 12 Thieves are jealous of each other’s loot, but the godly are well rooted and bear their own fruit.
27 Lazy people don’t even cook the game they catch, but the diligent make use of everything they find.
Proverbs 13:4, 13
4 Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.
11 Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.
These are just a few but the last one emphases what I was saying before. The supposed wealth one gets from get-rich-quick schemes (lotteries, insurance frauds, etc.) doesn't change the heart of the person about what money they have or how to handle it, it only magnifies any issues they have with it.
Verses 25-27 are the ones that really excite me. I know that by working hard and having the right heart attitude towards what God entrusts me with that I will have clothing, I will own land and I will have enough food for not only my family, but for my servants as well. Did you see that? I have servants!
This can be looked at in a way that I think I know I hadn't thought of until the Lord just showed it to me. The word "servant" in verse 27 doesn't necessarily mean what I would envision it to mean. A servant is defined as a person in the service of another. Would someone who handles my investment portfolio be considered as a person in the service of another? Would an employee who works for me be considered a person in the service of another? Would a person who picks up and delivers my mail be considered a person in the service of another? Would the pastors at my church be considered a person in the service of another? I would answer all those questions with a yes.
This means that because of the hard work and heart condition of the flocks, herds, crops, goats, sheep, etc., that the Lord entrusts to me that those who work in the service of another will also prosper. Because I am paying my bills on time, my taxes that are required, my tithes and offerings or my employees proper wages they will also be able to prosper, if they too are learning from the Word how to be good stewards.
Heavenly Father I thank you today for what You have entrusted to me. Continue to reveal to me any areas that I need to improve in when it comes to the "stuff" You have given to me. All that I have is available to You to use for Your purposes here on earth so that more can be added to Your Kingdom. Reveal to me anything I have that You need and how You want me to use it for You. I praise You for Your Word and for the Holy Spirit revealing to me and drawing me to Your love for me and for those I come into contact with each day. Let me be a blessing to them and may You get all the glory, honor and praise for what You accomplish. In Jesus name, Amen.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Be Not Prideful
2 Chronicles 26:5, 7, 14-21
5 Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah, who taught him to fear God. And as long as the king sought guidance from the Lord, God gave him success.
7 God helped him in his wars against the Philistines, his battles with the Arabs of Gur, and his wars with the Meunites.
14 Uzziah provided the entire army with shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and sling stones. 15 And he built structures on the walls of Jerusalem, designed by experts to protect those who shot arrows and hurled large stones from the towers and the corners of the wall. His fame spread far and wide, for the Lord gave him marvelous help, and he became very powerful.
16 But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. He sinned against the Lord his God by entering the sanctuary of the Lord’s Temple and personally burning incense on the incense altar. 17 Azariah the high priest went in after him with eighty other priests of the Lord, all brave men. 18 They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is the work of the priests alone, the descendants of Aaron who are set apart for this work. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have sinned. The Lord God will not honor you for this!”
19 Uzziah, who was holding an incense burner, became furious. But as he was standing there raging at the priests before the incense altar in the Lord’s Temple, leprosy suddenly broke out on his forehead. 20 When Azariah the high priest and all the other priests saw the leprosy, they rushed him out. And the king himself was eager to get out because the Lord had struck him. 21 So King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in isolation in a separate house, for he was excluded from the Temple of the Lord. His son Jotham was put in charge of the royal palace, and he governed the people of the land.
What a turn around in Uzziah's life. It shows early on that when he sought God for guidance he was successful. God helped him in time of war and he won his battles. Through doing this he became very powerful and also grew in pride.
Verses 16-21 show the result of his pride and how sin is dealt with in the old covenant. Praise God for Jesus and His sacrifice for my sins. I thank Him every day that I am not subject to the way sin is handled under the old covenant. I praise Jesus for suffering on the cross for me to death and being raised from the dead. He bore all my sickness, disease and sin so that I could rule and reign on earth and in heaven as a righteous child of the King. I am not full of pride when it comes to knowing where my source is for every good thing in my life. I also know the source of every bad thing in my life and it's not God.
Father I praise You today for Your plan for all mankind. I praise You because You are the creator of all that is good and You want to have a relationship with all of Your creation. I praise You Father for sending Your Son to earth to do the work of redeeming that which was lost. I thank You that through Him there is healing, wholeness, love, kindness, peace and restoration. I thank You that Your Holy Spirit is here with me to guide, direct and lead me to all truth and to the knowledge of You and Your plan for me. I praise You for Your Word and for what it means to me to be fed by Your Word each day. You are my rock and my salvation. You are my fortress and my deliverer. You are the reason that I am alive at such a time as this to be used by You for Your Kingdom to be manifest here on earth. You are my God in whom I put my trust and allegience. I pledge to You everything that I have and everything that I am or will become. I am a piece of clay to be molded by the Potter who will shape me and mold me into the vessel that will carry His Word forth to the nations. Here I am Lord! Ready to answer Your call and do what You want me to do when You want me to do it. Lead me, guide me, direct me Holy Spirit to know the next step God has for me. I praise You Jesus! Amen.
5 Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah, who taught him to fear God. And as long as the king sought guidance from the Lord, God gave him success.
7 God helped him in his wars against the Philistines, his battles with the Arabs of Gur, and his wars with the Meunites.
14 Uzziah provided the entire army with shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and sling stones. 15 And he built structures on the walls of Jerusalem, designed by experts to protect those who shot arrows and hurled large stones from the towers and the corners of the wall. His fame spread far and wide, for the Lord gave him marvelous help, and he became very powerful.
16 But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. He sinned against the Lord his God by entering the sanctuary of the Lord’s Temple and personally burning incense on the incense altar. 17 Azariah the high priest went in after him with eighty other priests of the Lord, all brave men. 18 They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is the work of the priests alone, the descendants of Aaron who are set apart for this work. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have sinned. The Lord God will not honor you for this!”
19 Uzziah, who was holding an incense burner, became furious. But as he was standing there raging at the priests before the incense altar in the Lord’s Temple, leprosy suddenly broke out on his forehead. 20 When Azariah the high priest and all the other priests saw the leprosy, they rushed him out. And the king himself was eager to get out because the Lord had struck him. 21 So King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in isolation in a separate house, for he was excluded from the Temple of the Lord. His son Jotham was put in charge of the royal palace, and he governed the people of the land.
What a turn around in Uzziah's life. It shows early on that when he sought God for guidance he was successful. God helped him in time of war and he won his battles. Through doing this he became very powerful and also grew in pride.
Verses 16-21 show the result of his pride and how sin is dealt with in the old covenant. Praise God for Jesus and His sacrifice for my sins. I thank Him every day that I am not subject to the way sin is handled under the old covenant. I praise Jesus for suffering on the cross for me to death and being raised from the dead. He bore all my sickness, disease and sin so that I could rule and reign on earth and in heaven as a righteous child of the King. I am not full of pride when it comes to knowing where my source is for every good thing in my life. I also know the source of every bad thing in my life and it's not God.
Father I praise You today for Your plan for all mankind. I praise You because You are the creator of all that is good and You want to have a relationship with all of Your creation. I praise You Father for sending Your Son to earth to do the work of redeeming that which was lost. I thank You that through Him there is healing, wholeness, love, kindness, peace and restoration. I thank You that Your Holy Spirit is here with me to guide, direct and lead me to all truth and to the knowledge of You and Your plan for me. I praise You for Your Word and for what it means to me to be fed by Your Word each day. You are my rock and my salvation. You are my fortress and my deliverer. You are the reason that I am alive at such a time as this to be used by You for Your Kingdom to be manifest here on earth. You are my God in whom I put my trust and allegience. I pledge to You everything that I have and everything that I am or will become. I am a piece of clay to be molded by the Potter who will shape me and mold me into the vessel that will carry His Word forth to the nations. Here I am Lord! Ready to answer Your call and do what You want me to do when You want me to do it. Lead me, guide me, direct me Holy Spirit to know the next step God has for me. I praise You Jesus! Amen.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Do You Repay Evil with Evil or Love?
1 Samuel 25:2-38
2 There was a wealthy man from Maon who owned property near the town of Carmel. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, and it was sheep-shearing time. 3 This man’s name was Nabal, and his wife, Abigail, was a sensible and beautiful woman. But Nabal, a descendant of Caleb, was crude and mean in all his dealings.
4 When David heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep, 5 he sent ten of his young men to Carmel with this message for Nabal: 6 “Peace and prosperity to you, your family, and everything you own! 7 I am told that it is sheep-shearing time. While your shepherds stayed among us near Carmel, we never harmed them, and nothing was ever stolen from them. 8 Ask your own men, and they will tell you this is true. So would you be kind to us, since we have come at a time of celebration? Please share any provisions you might have on hand with us and with your friend David.” 9 David’s young men gave this message to Nabal in David’s name, and they waited for a reply.
10 “Who is this fellow David?” Nabal sneered to the young men. “Who does this son of Jesse think he is? There are lots of servants these days who run away from their masters. 11 Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I’ve slaughtered for my shearers and give it to a band of outlaws who come from who knows where?”
12 So David’s young men returned and told him what Nabal had said. 13 “Get your swords!” was David’s reply as he strapped on his own. Then 400 men started off with David, and 200 remained behind to guard their equipment.
14 Meanwhile, one of Nabal’s servants went to Abigail and told her, “David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he screamed insults at them. 15 These men have been very good to us, and we never suffered any harm from them. Nothing was stolen from us the whole time they were with us. 16 In fact, day and night they were like a wall of protection to us and the sheep. 17 You need to know this and figure out what to do, for there is going to be trouble for our master and his whole family. He’s so ill-tempered that no one can even talk to him!”
18 Abigail wasted no time. She quickly gathered 200 loaves of bread, two wineskins full of wine, five sheep that had been slaughtered, nearly a bushel of roasted grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 fig cakes. She packed them on donkeys 19 and said to her servants, “Go on ahead. I will follow you shortly.” But she didn’t tell her husband Nabal what she was doing.
20 As she was riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, she saw David and his men coming toward her. 21 David had just been saying, “A lot of good it did to help this fellow. We protected his flocks in the wilderness, and nothing he owned was lost or stolen. But he has repaid me evil for good. 22 May God strike me and kill me if even one man of his household is still alive tomorrow morning!”
23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed low before him. 24 She fell at his feet and said, “I accept all blame in this matter, my lord. Please listen to what I have to say. 25 I know Nabal is a wicked and ill-tempered man; please don’t pay any attention to him. He is a fool, just as his name suggests. But I never even saw the young men you sent.
26 “Now, my lord, as surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, since the Lord has kept you from murdering and taking vengeance into your own hands, let all your enemies and those who try to harm you be as cursed as Nabal is. 27 And here is a present that I, your servant, have brought to you and your young men. 28 Please forgive me if I have offended you in any way. The Lord will surely reward you with a lasting dynasty, for you are fighting the Lord’s battles. And you have not done wrong throughout your entire life.
29 “Even when you are chased by those who seek to kill you, your life is safe in the care of the Lord your God, secure in his treasure pouch! But the lives of your enemies will disappear like stones shot from a sling! 30 When the Lord has done all he promised and has made you leader of Israel, 31 don’t let this be a blemish on your record. Then your conscience won’t have to bear the staggering burden of needless bloodshed and vengeance. And when the Lord has done these great things for you, please remember me, your servant!”
32 David replied to Abigail, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me today! 33 Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands. 34 For I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, who has kept me from hurting you, that if you had not hurried out to meet me, not one of Nabal’s men would still be alive tomorrow morning.” 35 Then David accepted her present and told her, “Return home in peace. I have heard what you said. We will not kill your husband.”
36 When Abigail arrived home, she found that Nabal was throwing a big party and was celebrating like a king. He was very drunk, so she didn’t tell him anything about her meeting with David until dawn the next day. 37 In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him what had happened. As a result he had a stroke, and he lay paralyzed on his bed like a stone. 38 About ten days later, the Lord struck him, and he died.
What lesson to learn. I can fully understand how David felt when he received the response from Nabal. How many times have you worked your tail off for an employer only to have them not only not acknowledge what you did for them, but to insult you in the process? There were times in my dealings with employers where I really wanted to seek a way to take revenge on them. Thank the Lord I never did. I would say that David was pretty glad he didn't respond in that way either.
What I also see in this story is that a good wife is a jewel to have that is precious and worth more than any real jewels could be. Abigail is seen here as one who is wise. She knows the proverb, "A soft answer turns away wrath." She also knows what love is. 1 Peter 4:8b says this, "for love covers a multitude of sins." She was covering for her husband who was not an easy man to deal with. She pleaded for him and apologized for his transgressions and saved him and all the servants. What a woman of love.
Heavenly Father I praise You this day for a wife who shows me the kind of love Abigail showed for her husband each day. I pray that You increase inside each of us and that we decrease. May Your love flow through each of us more and more each day. May we pursue peace and understanding with each other and with our kids. May we extend that love to everyone we meet and use us Lord to calm the wrath of those who would want to repay evil with evil and show them Your love and compassion. I pray that You continue to guide me and show me Your ways and what You would have me to do in each situation so that You get the glory, honor and praise that is due. I thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to earth so that we may be saved. I thank You Jesus for following God's plan for Your life and paying the price for my sins. I praise Your holy name! In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
2 There was a wealthy man from Maon who owned property near the town of Carmel. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, and it was sheep-shearing time. 3 This man’s name was Nabal, and his wife, Abigail, was a sensible and beautiful woman. But Nabal, a descendant of Caleb, was crude and mean in all his dealings.
4 When David heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep, 5 he sent ten of his young men to Carmel with this message for Nabal: 6 “Peace and prosperity to you, your family, and everything you own! 7 I am told that it is sheep-shearing time. While your shepherds stayed among us near Carmel, we never harmed them, and nothing was ever stolen from them. 8 Ask your own men, and they will tell you this is true. So would you be kind to us, since we have come at a time of celebration? Please share any provisions you might have on hand with us and with your friend David.” 9 David’s young men gave this message to Nabal in David’s name, and they waited for a reply.
10 “Who is this fellow David?” Nabal sneered to the young men. “Who does this son of Jesse think he is? There are lots of servants these days who run away from their masters. 11 Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I’ve slaughtered for my shearers and give it to a band of outlaws who come from who knows where?”
12 So David’s young men returned and told him what Nabal had said. 13 “Get your swords!” was David’s reply as he strapped on his own. Then 400 men started off with David, and 200 remained behind to guard their equipment.
14 Meanwhile, one of Nabal’s servants went to Abigail and told her, “David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he screamed insults at them. 15 These men have been very good to us, and we never suffered any harm from them. Nothing was stolen from us the whole time they were with us. 16 In fact, day and night they were like a wall of protection to us and the sheep. 17 You need to know this and figure out what to do, for there is going to be trouble for our master and his whole family. He’s so ill-tempered that no one can even talk to him!”
18 Abigail wasted no time. She quickly gathered 200 loaves of bread, two wineskins full of wine, five sheep that had been slaughtered, nearly a bushel of roasted grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 fig cakes. She packed them on donkeys 19 and said to her servants, “Go on ahead. I will follow you shortly.” But she didn’t tell her husband Nabal what she was doing.
20 As she was riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, she saw David and his men coming toward her. 21 David had just been saying, “A lot of good it did to help this fellow. We protected his flocks in the wilderness, and nothing he owned was lost or stolen. But he has repaid me evil for good. 22 May God strike me and kill me if even one man of his household is still alive tomorrow morning!”
23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed low before him. 24 She fell at his feet and said, “I accept all blame in this matter, my lord. Please listen to what I have to say. 25 I know Nabal is a wicked and ill-tempered man; please don’t pay any attention to him. He is a fool, just as his name suggests. But I never even saw the young men you sent.
26 “Now, my lord, as surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, since the Lord has kept you from murdering and taking vengeance into your own hands, let all your enemies and those who try to harm you be as cursed as Nabal is. 27 And here is a present that I, your servant, have brought to you and your young men. 28 Please forgive me if I have offended you in any way. The Lord will surely reward you with a lasting dynasty, for you are fighting the Lord’s battles. And you have not done wrong throughout your entire life.
29 “Even when you are chased by those who seek to kill you, your life is safe in the care of the Lord your God, secure in his treasure pouch! But the lives of your enemies will disappear like stones shot from a sling! 30 When the Lord has done all he promised and has made you leader of Israel, 31 don’t let this be a blemish on your record. Then your conscience won’t have to bear the staggering burden of needless bloodshed and vengeance. And when the Lord has done these great things for you, please remember me, your servant!”
32 David replied to Abigail, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me today! 33 Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands. 34 For I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, who has kept me from hurting you, that if you had not hurried out to meet me, not one of Nabal’s men would still be alive tomorrow morning.” 35 Then David accepted her present and told her, “Return home in peace. I have heard what you said. We will not kill your husband.”
36 When Abigail arrived home, she found that Nabal was throwing a big party and was celebrating like a king. He was very drunk, so she didn’t tell him anything about her meeting with David until dawn the next day. 37 In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him what had happened. As a result he had a stroke, and he lay paralyzed on his bed like a stone. 38 About ten days later, the Lord struck him, and he died.
What lesson to learn. I can fully understand how David felt when he received the response from Nabal. How many times have you worked your tail off for an employer only to have them not only not acknowledge what you did for them, but to insult you in the process? There were times in my dealings with employers where I really wanted to seek a way to take revenge on them. Thank the Lord I never did. I would say that David was pretty glad he didn't respond in that way either.
What I also see in this story is that a good wife is a jewel to have that is precious and worth more than any real jewels could be. Abigail is seen here as one who is wise. She knows the proverb, "A soft answer turns away wrath." She also knows what love is. 1 Peter 4:8b says this, "for love covers a multitude of sins." She was covering for her husband who was not an easy man to deal with. She pleaded for him and apologized for his transgressions and saved him and all the servants. What a woman of love.
Heavenly Father I praise You this day for a wife who shows me the kind of love Abigail showed for her husband each day. I pray that You increase inside each of us and that we decrease. May Your love flow through each of us more and more each day. May we pursue peace and understanding with each other and with our kids. May we extend that love to everyone we meet and use us Lord to calm the wrath of those who would want to repay evil with evil and show them Your love and compassion. I pray that You continue to guide me and show me Your ways and what You would have me to do in each situation so that You get the glory, honor and praise that is due. I thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to earth so that we may be saved. I thank You Jesus for following God's plan for Your life and paying the price for my sins. I praise Your holy name! In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
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