Avarice

"Put avarice out of your lives and be content with whatever you have; God himself has said: I shall not fail you or desert you, and so we can say with confidence: With the Lord on my side, I fear nothing. What can human beings do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5)

What is avarice? Avarice is extreme desire to amass wealth. It is greed. To be avaricious means to be immoderately fond of accumulating. Avarice is wanting more than we need today because of fear of shortages in the future. Fear of what the future holds causes avarice. Lack of faith in God and his loving providence causes fear.

Lord, grant me strong faith in your powerful and loving providence so that I can leave tomorrow completely in your hands.

Call and Gifted

"For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable." (Romans 11: 29) – New Revised Standard Version

"For the gracious gifts of God and his calling are irrevocable." – Revised English Bible

"For the gifts and call of God are irrevocable." – New American Bible

"There is no change of mind on God's part about the gifts he has made or his choice." – New Jerusalem

I shudder when I apply this scripture to myself. I flash back to 1972 when I had a great desire to be a friend and companion of Jesus. I abandoned that dream for many years. About 1992, that dream started slowly but surely to come back to me. Today I want nothing else but to be a friend and companion of Jesus. Certainly God has not revoked his gracious gifts to me or his calling.

My God, I thank you for your faithful love. May your gifts and call to me not be ineffective in Jesus name. Amen!

Decorum in Mission

"If you enter house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district. And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust under your feet as evidence to them." (Mark 6: 10)

This is a detailed instruction to the apostles on how to behave in mission field. Proper decorum must be observed at all times. No jumping from place to place. Jesus taught his disciples to expect failure and rejection. And also how to deal with them when they happen. Lord teach me how to use these ideas in my work.

Trusting God to provide

"And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff, no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals but, he added, 'Don't take a spare tunic." (Mark 6: 8-9)

Trust me completely for all that you need for this mission. After all, it me who sends you. Do you imagine that I am so poor? Or perhaps you think that I am such a careless and heartless employer? When I fed 7000 people with a few loaves and fish, how left over did you gather? I want you also to be free of every unnecessary baggage. Seek first the kingdom of God and his justice and God will always take care of all your needs.

Lord Jesus, I hear you well this morning. I believe I am where I am because of your call and your leading. Teach me how to follow you, how to trust you completely in this mission.

The Mystery of Jesus

"With the coming of the Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and most of them were astonished when they heard him. They said, 'Where did the man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been granted him, and these miracles that are worked through him?" (Mark 6:2)

The people who were amazed by the teaching of Jesus in the synagogue knew that the wisdom of Jesus was granted from above. The Old Testament taught them that wisdom is a gift of God. God grants wisdom to those who fear him, desires wisdom and study his word. The people also knew that the power of Jesus to work miracles came from above. Jesus was a mystery to them.

Lord Jesus, teach me that I may teach like you. Grant me much wisdom for your work. Amen.

Discipline and Fruitfulness

"Of course, any discipline is at the time a matter for grief, not joy; but later, in those who have undergone it, it bears fruit in peace and uprightness." (Hebrews 12:11)

Today, I can bear testimony to the truth of the above scripture. When in 1995, God was shaping new attitudes in me with regard to family, health, money, tools, jobs and food, I was full of grief. What terrible suffering, I thought to myself at the time. Today, I enjoy every moment my calm and confident attitude vis-à-vis money, health, job, family, tools and job. It is not that I am perfect. I am still in the race heading towards the goal.

God's training for me is bearing "fruit in peace and uprightness" and perseverance. Thank you Father.

Your training

"Perseverance is part of your training; God is treating you as his sons. Has there ever been any son whose father did not train him? If you were not getting this training, as all of you are, then you would be not sons but bastards." (Hebrews 12: 7)

How is God training me in perseverance? Through delays, obstacles and disappointments. God teaches me to wait. God teaches me to begin again after every fall. Yes, I have learned to be ready to make a fresh beginning.