Treasuring God and People

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In Genesis 15:1 God tells Abraham, " Don't be afraid Abram, I am your shield and your very great reward. Prior to this Abraham rescues Lot and the king of Sodom offers Abraham all of the goods and plunder in exchange for the people. But Abraham values the people and says that he will not take anything from the king, so that nobody can say they made Abraham rich. In Abraham's life he did become very wealthy, and it was God who made him rich. 

Then God tells Abraham that he is his shield and reward. The word for reward is the Hebrew word sakar. It is where we get our word for secure. God will be his security. The Hebrew word sakar is most often translated as wages, pay, compensation, hire, or in your service. It means to hire someone. God is telling Abraham that he himself will be with Abraham and working for his good. God with him was his wages. God is more valuable than gold or silver. If God is with you nothing is impossible, and he is in your service working to make you great. Think of Jesus during his time on the earth. He was among the people as one who serves. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is still serving and if we have seen him we have seen the father. The father is doing the same. He is continually working for our good. 

There is a tremendous sense of peace and joy that comes when we realize God is with us. The pressure is off and the heaviness lifts when we learn to rest and trust in him being with us. It is very freeing. 

Communion Meditation

God is with us and we must learn to take him into the everyday moments of life. How well are you taking him into the everyday moments? Some of our cues are peace, joy, and walking in love. It is good to examine ourselves before taking communion. If we are focused on God being with us and that nothing is impossible for him how would that change the words you speak and the way you show up when facing issues in life? This is a shift in perspective as we look to the things that are unseen, because we can't see God with us. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I pray for all those watching, listening, or reading along and all those connected to them, and our church and governmental leaders.

Thank you for releasing us from darkness and transferring us into the light, into the kingdom of your dear son. Thank you for your purpose and grace given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

I ask that you the father of glory would give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation so we would know you better. That the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened to know the hope to which you have called us, and the riches of your glorious inheritance that is in us, and the immeasurable greatness of your power to us who believe. The same power that you exercised in Christ when you raised him from the dead, and seated him at your right hand in heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion,and every name that is named. Not only in this age but also in the one to come. And you put all things under his feet and made him to be the head of all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Heavenly Father, bless us and make your face shine upon us. Let us find grace and favor in your eyes.Expand our borders and our territory. Expand our capacity to receive your purpose and grace, and all that you want to do in our lives, and to let it flow through us so that we do good and are a blessing to people all over the world. Keep your hand on us and help us do TODAY what is right and best in your eyes. And to do it with peace and joy, and confidence in you. And as we do stretch out your hand to heal and do signs and wonders. And keep us from evil and pain.

Through the mighty name of Jesus. Amen

Spring Season Reminders

Over and over in the Old Testament it says that the spring is when kings go to battle. The enemies of God's people would usually try to attack them in the spring. If some battle comes up in the spring, it is a reminder that our fight of faith is to keep our eyes fixed on God, speaking and acting from the place that God is with me and nothing is impossible with him. 

Treasuring God and People

We have been talking about finding God's treasure within. Jesus said all of the law hangs on 2 commandments...Loving God and people. Not only should we be loving them but we should be moving to the next level of truly cherishing and treasuring God and people. Early in my walk with God I went through a phase where I was having a hard time doing both sides of the equation. I was focused on God and doing the best I knew how to walk out what he was asking me but I was having a hard time letting it flow through me to others. There are two sides to this and our goal is to get to the place where we love, cherish, and treasure both God and people. I had to learn to truly cherish people, even the ones who pushed by buttons. 

I once heard a sermon by John Osteen, where he said that the real treasure of heaven is people. We have been talking about walking out our God given purpose or charge in life in the fear of the Lord, which is reverence, honor, and awe of him. To fear the Lord is to make it our goal to please God and what pleases him is loving him and people. 

Jesus said if you love me you will obey my commandments. The first level of loving God is obedience. Yes, reverencing God means spending time with him, reading his word, prayer, and communion but ultimately it needs to lead to taking action on what he asks of us and doing it with a good attitude. The most important commandment Jesus gave us was to love one another. God's love needs to flow through us so that we truly cherish people. For example, in your workplace is your number one goal each day to go in and be a blessing to the people. There may be people that push your buttons or rub you the wrong way but God sees that person as treasure and you can be a bridge bringing God's love to the person. Strife should have no place in our lives and we should have peace with God and all people. All of the slander, gossip, and assuming the worst about people needs to be put away and instead we need to move to truly treasuring people. 

This needs to start at home in our families. Many people would never snap at someone at work but they snap at their family members. God is with you, get yourself and your tongue out of the way and let his love flow through you to the people around you, starting with your family. 

There is an interesting passage in Malachi chapters 3 and 4. The people are asking what good it does or what the reward is for fearing God. Here is what the passage says starting in Malachi 3:14. 

God said, You said it is futile to serve God, what do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty. 

Notice that they were not serving God with a good attitude and joy. They were going about like mourners. 

Here is how the passage continues.

16 Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name.

17 “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. 18 And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.

4 “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. 2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. 3 Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty.

The people that fear God and joyfully do what pleases him, including loving people, will be in his remembrance and will be his treasured possession.