Thursday, May 8, 2014

Healthy fear of the Lord - gambling for God

S- Matthew 25:28-29 NLT
“Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver.  To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.

O - The message Jesus is telling is to the pharisees and servants of God's temple.  He was telling them, hey God entrusted you with many things, and you have not stewarded them well, in fact you have made it about building yourself up, and not building God up.  In this parable He is calling them stingy with what God has given them for the use and building of the kingdom of God and for serving God's people.  Instead they guard what God has given them from the people, for they justify their fear of God's rath if they misuse.  So rather than trust in God's provision and risk failure for the Kingdom sake, they simply hold on to the blessings of God and keep it from its potential kingdom impact.  So for them it will be taken away and given to a new leadership under Christ, directly to the people.  No longer will access to God require any other human  system to achieve - but through Christ directly we have a good and true representitive for us to God, and Jesus uses perfectly all the resources God has given Him.

A - The conviction for me is to live the same principle.  Be willing to take a risk for the Kingdom sake.   Fear of failure or fear of God's dissappointment or wrath is not a Truth that Jesus would have me live in.  Instead he would have me be a "gambler for God".   I must move forward with no fear, other than a healthy fear of God.

P -  Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray for wisdom, and courage to gamble for You and the Kingdom of God.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.