Who would think that not taking an active interest in growing your monetary and/or other wealth is the actual way to go.

“²⁰A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.” — Proverbs 28:20 (ESV)

I am reminded this morning that I should not overly concern myself with gaining wealth of any kind. God will give His blessings to those that are faithful to Him. It is our faith that brings in the reward and blessings from God, not our selfish work.

“¹⁹Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty. ²²A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.” — Proverbs 28:19 & 22 (ESV)

Often I have seen, and written about here, that we take God’s word and cherry pick verses that back up what we are looking to say, as if somehow God would justify our thoughts and actions. In order to really understand, I have to read and study before and after verses and get the whole picture and context of the one verse. I have to see the totality of the instance to get the bigger picture and not just zero in on the one verse.

When looking at verse 20 above, I see that faith abounds blessings from God. Where as this is a great verse, I get more context when looking before and after and drill into really how things work. I have to put in the work about the land and be generous with all to gain the blessings from God.

“¹⁷So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” — James 2:17 (ESV)

I must be faithful to receive blessings from God and along with my faith I must have works to complete it all. I cannot just sit idle and expect God to provide, I have to take action based on my faith and know that the two combined will gain blessing from God.

What are you doing to gain blessing from God? Are you sitting idle and expecting God to give you blessings? What if you combined your faith with you works knowing that God will give blessings?

“⁶Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?” — Proverbs 20:6 (ESV)

It is easy to say how good I am and how much I love and how I am so devoted. It is much more difficult to act and allow those actions to speak for me.

I use the phrase “it is not boasting if it is true”. Now where that may in itself sound boastful and proclaiming and saying, I feel as though I should clarify. It is not boasting when asked about the actions taken. When asked, we should state factually with data to back it up and not just that we say it so. I use the example of an end of year evaluation. All of the data is posted and called on to say that the work done for the year is of high quality against the targeted criteria. That is not boasting and the information was asked for in the review process.

It is important to act and allow those actions to speak. After all, actions speak louder than words, right. I have to remember to be faithful in all that I do. I have to do the work of God and allow that work to speak. Like this bible study, I feel as though I have been faithful in my study and over the years (since 2016) when I began, I have grown in my depth of knowledge and understanding of God’s Word and my part in His plan. Do I know it all, and am I the expert, by no means, but I have become more understanding and if anything, I have continued wanting to learn more. I do not claim any more knowledge and only want to share what I have learning and ask others to continue their learning as well. This to me is faithful acting and not just speaking that I have done something and looking for some recognition for that which I have said I have done.

What is it that you have said in your life that may not be the full declaration of your actions? Are you speaking things for others to take notice of and grant you some sort of recognition? What if you were to just do the work and allow that work and your actions to demonstrate your faithfulness to the work and stay away from boasting?

The LORD is fully faithful in all that He speaks. He told Moses that he would be able to speak to Pharaoh. He said to Sarah (Abraham’s wife) that she would be the mother of nations and she indeed conceived (at age 90). The LORD is certainly faithful in what He says.

“¹³…[The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.]” — Psalm 145:13b

As I read this morning, I was led to this verse and specifically this part of the verse. Notice the brackets around the sentence. These words are not just from the bible, God’s word, but they are found in historical documents that are known elsewhere and frankly, as poor as it is, more respected than the bible. These are found in the Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint, Syriac (as noted in my ESV bible footnote).

I am encouraged by the faithfulness of God’s words. He says what He means and means what He says. There is no room for questioning of God’s words and their application to my life. Yes, there are lots of times that I do not understand His words, and that is frustrating as I press to move forward, but I do not question the validity of His words. I know that whatever He says is what He will do.

Now, as noted, I may not understand and will continue to work to do so. The LORD will not always tell me plainly just what is or what will come of me taking action. I am to do His works based on His words and know that He is faithful and will give provision and when the time is right, blessings on top of those provisions. God is faithful in all His words. Again, He says what He means and means what He says.

With all that goes on in your life, what items are you hearing from God and what is your belief in what He says? Are you hearing Him and questioning the validity of what He says? What if you were to approach God’s words knowing that He says what He means and means what He says?

“⁶He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the inheritance of the nations. ⁷The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy;” — Psalm 111:6-7 (ESV)

God has shown that He is faithful, not only through His word, but through His actions. We, in my house, have had our share of difficult times and some where, to us, things looked as though they would get worse before they got better. All in all, it was our faith that God would intervene and provide that we were able to see His work in relieving the difficulty. I know that all that we experienced was not solvable without some additional help along the way, and only God could provide the help we needed.

As you see in the verses above and in what we know from biblical history, God made known that He would provide the promised land to the Israelite people. He let them know that there would be those to get in the way and that the timing may not be to their liking, but He would provide. AND HE DID! His actions and works demonstrated His faithfulness to His word in that instance, and it was certainly a big instance.

When I see things like the above and the faithful work of the LORD, I am encouraged to continue giving Him my troubles so that I will be able to see His faithful work continue in my life. Will He always do that which I would like done, well that is a NO. But He will ensure that I will be protected, comforted, and loved throughout and that the end will be better than the beginning. I have a faithful heavenly father to which I can and will give my trust to care for my “needs”.

What is going on in your life that you are trying to solve on your own? Are you allowing anyone to give you assistance? What if you were to turn those over to the LORD and allow Him to do the work He faithfully has committed to taking on for you?

It is so easy to lose sight of that which is there to protect me. I am a rule follower by nature and yet the reasons for following the rules gets lost in my desire to do so. The benefits of of following through with the rules will benefit me yet why do I follow them.

God is there to protect me. I have a tendency to forget that fact and go along through life without really paying much mind to that protection. Yes, I pray daily for comfort, safety, protection, and God guidance, but how much I think about it throughout the day, beyond my prayers?

“²³Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. ²⁴Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!” — Psalm 31:23-24 (ESV)

And there it is, “Love the LORD”. And what I see there is, always “Love the LORD”. I forget about Him from time to time, mostly when things are going well. It is up to me to remember to be faithful to Him always. Even in those good times, I have to “be strong” and “take courage” while I “wait” for Him. I must be faithful to Him as he is faithful to me as His child.

“²¹Blessed be the LORD, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city. ²²I had said in my alarm, ‘I am cut off from your sight.’ But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help.” — Psalm 31:21-22 (ESV)

Notice the words of David here. He is indicating that he was not seeing God, but that did not mean He was not there. God was faithful and all David needed was to call out to Him in faith to receive His guidance and protection. I am the same. I may not “see” God all the time, yet that does not mean He is not there. It is my faith that keeps Him close so that He can be there in a moments notice for guidance and protection.

It is in those times of guidance that I may not be as faithful to Him as when things are going well, I, and I reckon to say we, rely on ourselves and brag that things are so well we were responsible and deserving of all of the praise. The reality is that our faith has generated the noticed help from God, and it is our duty to recognize it and praise Him in continued faith.

Being faithful as man is difficult since I am tempted daily by the evil one. I am given just enough from the evil one that keeps me coming back for more and my eyes are turned away from God. It is God that provides for me in His glory and I have to remember to be faithful to Him as my provider. In doing so, God will continue in His work to make the most of my life.

What faith do you posses for God? Are you aware of His presence daily, regardless of the circumstances? What would it look and feel like to give your faith to God at all and in all, knowing that He is there?

I think into this world today and all of those that put it out there that they can be trusted to do a job and that they will be committed to the work they say they will do. I applaud them for being willing to make the statements out in public, especially in the electronic, social media frenzied, instant and forever ability to capture every word. It is hard not to “like” someone when they seem to be speaking directly to you and are telling you everything you want to hear.

Here is where I have to remember to be careful and remember the nature of people and the influence of the evil one in all of our lives. I have to understand the position those people are in or will be in and what are they really able to control to provide that which they are professing. How much will they really be able to deliver on in the moment or near future, and how much of it is just speaking to “make things feel better”?

“¹In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! ²Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! ³For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; ⁴you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. ⁵Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.” — Psalm 31:1-5 (ESV)

My commitment is to the one that can and will provide and has proven to do so, time and time again. God is faithful to His promises and covenants and will not abandon them for some other vision of glory for Himself. I am the one that brings Him joy. I am His creation and His child and like our boys to Lori and I, I am loved and He will always be there, regardless of the circumstances. God will deliver me from the evil one and protect me tirelessly.

I was lost in sin and God rescued me. I was down in spirit and God provided joy in my life to lift me up. I was in need of provisions and God supplied for that need. I strayed away from Him and God waited on me and worked to bring me back. I needed to spend more time with Him and God provided the accountability partners making it easier. God committed faithfully to me and I commit to Him.

Who are those in your life that are promising the world only not able to deliver? Are you leaning on man to provide for your needs? What if you committed to the only one that is fully faithful, God?

I have seen many times others doing work that appears to be wholesome and in the interest of Christ and His plans in life, only to be disappointed at the self-promotion that comes from the doing of the work. I have seen those that are assisting those in need only to make it well known that they were there and that they are seen as doing the work. I have also seen those that take advantage of the opportunities to gain from and lord over others as not having done the same.

“²⁹Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?” — 1 Samuel 2:29 (ESV)

Too often, there are those that look down on others that are not “doing as they do” and they seem to count themselves as greater than everyone else and somehow deserve the finer things that everyone else provides for them. I am sure it is seen by others than just me and the view is a little perplexing, especially when these that are looking down profess to being Christ followers.

“³⁵And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever.” — 2 Samuel 2:35 (ESV)

And there we have it. God is looking to provide for those that do according to His heart and mind. Those that are faithful to God are those that will be provided for. Those that do the will of God for His glory and not their own will be counted as faithful and will be honored and those that go against God will not.

“³⁰Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,’ but now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.’” — 2 Samuel 2:30 (ESV)

I choose to do the work of Christ. I have found myself not being recognized for the work that I do and will admit that it bothers me to go unnoticed in the world. I have commented many times to Lori that I feel insignificant and that it is frustrating and demoralizing to be seemingly ignored. I have to remember these verses as I move through this world and make note that it is not about what actions others see me perform for God. It is about my faithful obedience and the bringing of glory to Him that matters. The notoriety of the world is of no consequence and I should only be concerned with the notoriety of God and not man.

What is it that you believe you should be recognized? Are you concerned with what others see you accomplish? What if you were to simply be faithful to God in your heart and mind and allowed Him to honor you?

“⁹Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, ¹⁰and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face.” — Deuteronomy 7:9-10 (ESV)

It is comforting to know that God is faithful in all. He is there for me whenever I need Him, even in the times when I am being attacked and persecuted for His glory. He remains there by my side and will take up the fight for me so that I am protected and safe from that which is outside of and contrary to His plan in my life.

This passage in Deuteronomy references God’s chosen people, the Israelite people to which He has promised. They will be cared for by the faithful God and provided the land He has promised.

There is more to it than just to sit back and wait for God to give everything to them, and even as God will give all to them, there is limits to that which is actually for them. In the passage and as I know, God gives to us that which we need, not that which we want. The Israelite people were to given the promised land and all of their foes would be defeated in God’s accomplishing of His will. Where there would be many spoils from the defeat of the foes, the only spoil that God allowed was that which He promised, the land. Any thing else left over was to be destroyed as that was not in God’s plan for the Israelite people.

And that is where the line is drawn for followers of God. I have a gift that is given to me by God. That gift is what I receive and nothing more. God faithfulness will provide and that is where my acceptance of His gift should be directed for thankfulness. I will not be “provided” with more than God has in His plan. I will not get more than He has for me. I will receive exactly what God has for me.

And to receive what God has for me, I must be faithful to His plan for me and my life for Him. God gives direction and instruction and it is my duty to follow His plan to the letter. I will be asked to take on some things and leave others. I will be given victory in some instances and in others I may see them as defeat. I must remain faithful to God and His plan and there is where I will experience His faithfulness in my life.

What experience in your life have you seen as a possible failure of God’s faithfulness? Are you expecting God to give you everything that you want? What if you received that which you were promised through God’s faithfulness and your expectation was for that which was outside of that promise?

“⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” — 2 Timothy 4:7 (ESV)

Paul is writing to Timothy here and the title of this part of his letter is “Preach the Word” as noted in my ESV bible. There is a lot more to the passage that my focus here this morning, but I was reminded of just how important it is to continue fighting until I have reached the end of it all.

As I read this passage and came to this verse, I was reminded of a couple of movies and characters that never gave up. “Captain America” and the character Steve Rogers as well as “Hacksaw Ridge” and Desmond Doss. Steve Rogers, before he became Captain America fought in an ally until someone came to rescue him and he stated, “I can do this all day” even as he was being beaten to a pulp. Desmond Doss, continued to save soldiers all through the night, rescuing them from certain death and lowering them one at a time, on his own from a high ridge. Both of these fought the good fight and finished the race in front of them, not to quit until the job was finished and they were rescued.

Not once did either of them stop. Not once did either complain. Not once did either of them give up in the middle because it was “too hard” or they were “tired”. They fought from the start and gave everything they had.

Paul did gave that same energy and commitment as he fought for Christ and the spreading of the gospel. He did not stop, complain, or give up. He continued, even from prison as he knew his fate.

Jesus did not stop, complain, or give up. He knew the road was hard and what was at the end of it, yet He continued and fought for the lives of sinners even to His death. Jesus knew from the day He was born, and yet He kept going.

Now that Jesus and Paul and all others that have fought for me and my salvation have finished the race they were given to run, they can rest. Jesus is resting now in heaven and Paul is as well. Resting and waiting for the return to this world and pick up the fight in the last days. A new race coming and being ready to give it everything is what I know will be.

I have a race top complete for Christ. I know that this blog is part of it. There are many days that I wake and think, maybe I can skip, yet that would not be fighting the good fight. I have to be willing to “do this all day”. I have to be willing to exhaust myself in the completion of the task given me by God. I have to finish the race. I will have the chance to rest when I have finished my work for Christ.

What races are you running where you feel like just giving up? Are you just ready to throw in the towel and just stop? What if you were to continue the fighting the good fight with the understanding that you will have the chance to rest when it is finished?

“¹²I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.” — 1 John 2:12 (ESV)

John is writing here to congregations of believers of all ages. As far as referring to them as “little children”, he is doing so in reference to their faith and spiritual maturity. It is easy to forget that once we have accepted salvation, we have been reborn and are starting over in our life as a child of God. These congregations are young in their conversion and are in need of the reminder that they are indeed still learning and growing.

As for the forgiven part, John reminds them that while they are still young in the faith, they should remember that no matter, their sins have been forgiven. I have to remember the same thing in my walk of this world. I may not be as young in the faith as others, but am still learning and growing and will fall into those times where I may doubt my position. It is in those times that I have to come back to God’s word and verses as the one above and be reminded that no matter what, my sins are forgiven.

We are but “little children” in our faith at our salvation and baptism. It is proper to remember that and accept that we are still learning and growing. At the same time, we are to rest in the comfort of knowing that our sins have been forgiven. We have been set aside and accounted for in our faith. We are children of God and He has forgiven us for all of our transgressions past, present, and future.

What is your position with Christ? Do you believe that somehow you have arrived and know it all since you have been saved and are now walking with Christ? In those times that you may doubt your station with Christ, remember that you are but “little children” and your sins have been forgiven?