Gleanings — 2

Here are a few more gleanings from old journals that continue to challenge me.

On  Stewardship

 The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. Psalm 24:1

Some of us say that everything we have is God’s. If so, when a favorite dish breaks, what do we think? “Lord, Your dish broke” or “Oh, no! That’s my favorite dish!” If disasters like floods, fires and tornadoes strike, is it our home that’s destroyed or His?

 

The Stewardship of Time

Yours is the day; Yours also is the night; You have prepared the light and the sun. Psalm 74:16

 Time is God’s gift to us. Do we claim it and keep it for ourselves or give it back to Him?

Lots of us give our day to God without thinking it means giving our seconds, minutes and hours to Him too.

As we intentionally give each moment to God, His presence invades and transforms time with His expansive, almost leisurely, pace and peace. The driven ones among us slow down and the lethargic and bored perk up; there’s time for love and laughter, for interruptions and people. Tedious but needful details come alive; the trivial and unnecessary fall away.

As we accept God’s claim on our time, He establishes His order and effectiveness within it.

 

Hearing God

 . . . Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts. Hebrews 4:7

 I screen what God says to me unless I’m surrendered to His will.

My inner editor automatically revises or edits what God says unless my heart is tender to hear and obey.

In Old Testament Hebrew, to hear is to obey. If I don’t obey, I haven’t heard.

God means what He says; He backs His words with action, do I?

Am I honest if I say, “Lord, I want Your will” and then say, “No,” “Maybe,” or “Later” in the same conversation? (Fortunately, He usually gives time to process and always gives strength and help to obey.)

I’ve heard that God loves us so much He never brings judgment on us by asking for what He knows we’ll refuse. Maybe that’s true sometimes, but not always. His Word is full of hard requests and commands. He says seek Me, love your enemies, forgive endlessly, fear not, don’t ever gossip, give joyously, pray at all times. It’s fortunate that in our weaknesses, the Holy Spirit helps us to say yes to His requests—if we ask, seek, and knock—and keep on asking seeking and knocking.

 

This Christian life, fortunately, It’s not by might or by power but by My Spirit says the Lord of Hosts. Zechariah 4:6