Daily Wisdom..."Spiritually Investing"

“And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint… (6) And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?”  Jdg 8:5-6

Gideon, by way of God’s miraculous power, had just defeated the Midianites even though they were greatly outnumbered.  They now find themselves in need of food and water as they pursued the fleeing soldiers; they asked the leaders of Succoth (from the tribe of Gad who were believers) who responded selfishly in fear instead of support of God’s work through Gideon.  They should have realized that victory was certain because God was with Gideon. But they were so worried about saving themselves from retribution that they never thought about God's power to save. Don’t let fear blind you from God’s work, especially from those He is utilizing. God will prevail with or without you, be quick to join others who are engaged in His work and don’t hesitate to support with your time, talents, money and prayer. Know the consequences of lacking faith will be greater than the fear of retribution.

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom..."Envy"

“…thou called us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.”  Judges 8:1

The leaders from the tribe Ephraim (Joseph’s decedents) felt left out because Gideon had not called them to join the battle but had left them in place to "clean up" the escaping Midianites and so they angrily confronted him. Gideon assured the leaders of Ephraim that their accomplishment was even greater than his own. He pointed out that they had managed to capture the enemy's generals. Not every necessary job is a highly visible leadership role. Much of the necessary labor of any effective enterprise is considered by many to be dirty work. But such work is vital to getting any big task done. Engineers and high profile bankers may design and finance an elegant building, but it is the bricklayers who get the work done. Be cautious, envy/pride creates a desire for recognition. Often those who are most apt to desire leadership services will be the angriest not to have the credit of them. Are you content to be a bricklayer for God, or do you take exception to the work God has given you, because it’s not about you?

Envy is best removed by humility.

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom..."Mercy"

“But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy…”  Psa 5:7

With this verse the first part of the Psalm ends. David has bent his knee in prayer; he has petitioned God, a claim for his deliverance, “But as for me, I will come into thy house.” Declaring not to stand at a distance, but enter into thy sanctuary, just as a child comes into the security of his father’s home.  But David will not enter by claims of his own merits or works; I will come in the multitude of God’s mercy.  David is able to approach God by way of His immeasurable grace and mercy.  God’s judgments are numbered by our transgressions, but His mercies are innumerable; he gives His wrath by weight, but without weight, His mercy.  We too can only enter into God’s presence by trusting and acknowledging His great mercy and respond with a heart of Gratitude and Humility. When ones heart is adorned with thanksgiving and praise, we are able to establish a claim for God’s mercy in which He is faithful to render unto us without measure.

All must come to embrace two truths in one act – one’s own sin and God’s infinite mercy in Christ.

HSAY... Todd

Daily Wisdom..."Thankfulness"

“…Agabus signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth (drought) throughout the world; every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea.” Acts 11:29-29

Knowing that God is not a respecter of person (Acts 10:24), we also must know that hardship or famine, in this case, is not a respecter as well.  For the churches in Judaea, they where the launching point, mother church for the gospel and through the original disciples had sprung forth the greatest gift one could receive the gift of eternal life in Christ. But, now the church in Judaea finds itself in hardship from the effects of the foretold drought in the land.  Seeing this, the church of Antioch steps up, every man according to his ability, and sends relief to those they had received a greater gift from. The obligation to relieve the temporal needs of those from whom they had received more important and priceless spiritual blessings and gifts is repeatedly enforced in the N.T. (Rom 15:25-27; 1 Cor 16:1-2; 2 Cor 9:1-2; Gal 2:10). How thankful are you for those who have invested in you the greater of gifts through Christ. Maybe your spiritual parents aren’t in need then pass on the gifts that you received to those who haven’t received such blessings. Acts of gratitude and giving come by way of thankfulness one has in Christ and those who shared Him. Let those who think of you know you are thankful for them.

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom..."Stand Forth"

Mark 3:3 “…Stand forth.”

As Christ speaks to a man with a withered hand, He challenges him to “stand forth”, meaning to awaken from a state of unawareness (mental/spiritual sleep) and enter into (physically/emotionally) the midst and presence of Christ, or, as in Luke, "rise up and stand forth in the midst" (Lk 6:8).  For the Jews in the time of Jesus, the Sabbath was more than just a matter of obedience to rules.  Sabbath observance was regarded as a way to honor the holiness of Yahweh (Ex 20:8-11; Deut 5:12-15).  Its observance made Israel distinct as a nation, bolstered Jewish identity over others, and served as a defense against assimilation to pagan culture.  Yet, the real and often hidden danger of rigid legalism is that it can delude one into thinking that God is satisfied when one is a stickler for religious details, even if one is merciless to others…Devotion to principle can grossly outweigh spiritual and physical concern for others, as the ensuing plot against Jesus revealed. We’ve heard the term “stand up and be counted”, be wise concerning what you choose to “stand forth” in and make sure it’s not just for a traditional headcount of your presence. Sadly one can be in attendance or in the presence of  religious gatherings and yet not in the midst of Christ.

"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction."

HSAY...Todd

Daily Wisdom...Paralytic Pleasure

“…thou that are given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me…” Isaiah 47:8

In Isaiah 47, Babylon is described under the image of a lady, carefully nourished and decorated; and all the images of her destruction are drawn from those circumstances which would tend to humble someone that had been accustomed to luxury, and unused to scenes of humility, poverty, and bereavement. For Babylon they were comfortable and prideful in their own well-being leading them into a paralytic pleasure without need of anything. As Christians we must be cautious of an attitude of achievement, success and pride that leads us as well to such pleasures that entrap us and creates a paralytic spiritual life.  We must be cautious towards clothing ourselves in a false righteousness, pride or the security and desire of worldly pleasures, such an attitude is prone to bring about God’s vengeance and reveal our nakedness and shame that prevails underneath (vs 3).  For some the most dangerous prayers are those seeking God to remove the thorns from their flesh, like Paul they would be better served learning to live in God’s sufficient grace (2 Cor 12:9).  Like Adam and Eve, they tried to use clothing to cover their sin; better to be naked before the Lord and allow Him to cloth you in His righteousness. I promise you it will be more spiritually fashionable for you!

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom...Great and Mighty

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jeremiah 33:3

In spite of man’s best efforts and search for knowledge, God revels there’re great and mighty truths man will never uncover or experience outside of God’s revelation. Yet such truths must not remain a mystery for those who call upon the Father. This passage expresses God’s manifested favour and loving kindness; that He is willing to comply with his servants desires. One can see the comparison in Jer 29:12 “…ye shall call upon me, pray unto me and I will hearken unto you.” God’s promise was that of restoration, offering direction and blessings to those who are despaired in their hope and direction. And yet man will labor in their efforts to find God’s hope and deliverance, searching in and through all that the world has to offer with their works that will never obtain or discover what only God can provide. The two greatest gifts man can obtain, his eternal deliverance and God’s restoration and neither one can be obtain by his own effort (Mt 6:33). But, those who call unto the Lord will find deliverance and restoration.

If you feel as though you’ve lost God, I promise you He’s exactly where you left him.

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom..."Vain Philosophy"

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of this world and not after Christ.”  Col 2:8

The single most destructive force against man is man! Interesting that Paul warns us not to be spoiled by man’s offerings and vain enticements to fulfill our needs. Such approaches are the deceitful and rudimental philosophies of man. The Greek word used here means to spoil in the sense of plunder, rob, as when plunder is taken in war. The meaning is, “Take heed lest anyone plunder or rob you of your faith and hope in Christ by worldly philosophy.” Such false teachers will strip you of your faith and hope, like an invader in your life robbing you of all that is valuable. There’s an endless array of man-made approaches to life’s problems that totally disregard God. Don’t be deceived in placing your faith and hope in any other than Christ. To resist such hierarchy one must ensure all bases of wisdom is centered in Christ and God’s word.

“The difference between Christian thinking and worldly philosophy; worldly philosophy says man is normal now, Christian thinking says man is abnormal now.”

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom..."Affection"

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”  Col 3:2

To have affection towards something calls you to exercise your mind or interest oneself in a particular direction.  For the Christian life we are called to dispose ourselves in the things above; heaven which is our real home. Simple point, if you were building your dream home, one in which you have longed for relentlessly, where would your heart be? While you would be tentative to your current dwelling and living arrangements, your overall focus and attention would be in the details of your future home, working hand in hand with the architecture assuring it will be all it can be. John 14:2-3 tells us of our future home in heaven and a mansion designed by the Architect of it all, Christ Jesus! This truth provides a different perspective on our lives here on earth. To "think about the things of heaven" means to look at life from God's perspective and to seek what he desires, which provides the antidote to materialism and distractions of this world. Solomon came to this conclusion, unfortunately not till the end of his life, himself stating “…this is the whole duty of man.” Ecc 12:13

We all offer affection, is it in the temporal or eternal?

HSAY…Todd