Seeds For Thinking

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Scripture: For the man who uses well what he is given shall be given more and he shall have abundance. But from the man who is unfaithful, even what little responsibility he has shall be taken from him. (Matthew 25:29 - from the Parable of the Talents; Living Bible) See also Luke 19:11-26.

Use it or lose it! That credo certainly applies to the servant who hid his money rather than use it profitably in this parable. We would do well to understand the meaning of this parable lest we fall into the errant way of those who shirk responsibility and suffer the same fate as the unfaithful servant.
The master, or ruler, in the parable wasn’t just giving the servants money to have and to hold until his return. Each of the three men was given a responsibility in accordance with his ability. Two of the men understood that they were to invest the money, and had double the initial amount when the master returned. They were praised for their good work, and rewarded with both greater responsibility and an invitation to ‘enter into the joy of your lord.’ (vs. 21)
Do not be distracted by the use of money as an example in the parable. They were given an opportunity to work for the master. They were simply to carry on some work that the master would have done, had he been there. The faithful servants have taken what they were given and gained double for the kingdom!
Note also that it is not the size of the task that matters, nor rank or standing. Rather, each was given opportunity in accordance with their perceived likelihood of successfully completing the assignment. Two of them fulfilled their master’s trust. The third had the same opportunity, but failed.
Keep in mind that Jesus is showing us something very important about the kingdom of heaven. In fact, Psalm 16:11 states:
“You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (NKJV)
I think that Jesus is trying to show us the “path of life” in this parable. We all have been given opportunities to become one of the “laborers sent into His harvest.” (Mt. 9:37-38) The ‘harvest’ is the vast number of the unsaved in the world, people who have either not heard the Good News of Jesus, or have been distracted by the pleasures of the World and its prince, Satan.
Unfortunately, many who are given the opportunity to labor for Christ emmulate the unfaithful servant; they ‘hide’ the opportunity that they have been given, and gain nothing for the kingdom. That unfaithful servant will be denied the invitation to enter the joy of the Lord. The future does not hold joy for those who do not make the most of their given opportunity.
Read it again: “For the man who uses well what he is given shall be given more and he shall have abundance. But from the man who is unfaithful, even what little responsibility he has shall be taken from him.” Substitute the word “opportunity” for responsibility in this passage, and you will gain a better sense of the importance of using what you have been given.
Don’t ignore the little things. A prayer, a kind word, a smile for those who most need it might fill a need in their life. Something as simple as passing on a Bible tract may be your opportunity, your ‘assignment’ from the Master for the day.
Each step we take in the direction of the kingdom of heaven takes us closer to sharing forever in the joy of the Lord.
Any other step, including no steps at all - well, you think about it.
April 1, 2007

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Scripture: Luke recorded, "One of His disciples said to Him, 'Lord, teach us to pray.'" Luke 11:1, NKJV

Oh! Come on now! The disciples didn't know how to pray?
They were, after all Jewish men, so prayers were a part of their daily lives.
Examples of prayers of confession, petition, thanksgiving, praise, recollection and intercession are found throughout the Testaments. The practice of prayer was also observed in pagan societies.
Morning prayers were a normal ritual, as expressed by the Psalmist, "Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation." (Ps. 5:1-3)
The psalmist's prayer demonstrates several elements of prayer. My dictionary suggests that to pray is to ask for interposition and judgment, to cry or call out, to seek (the face of) to request, to inquire, (of an oracle) to intercede, to pour out one's heart. To pray is also to ask humbly and earnestly, an act of adoration. John the Baptist taught his disciples a way of praying. The Pharisees made a show of public prayer. The disciples were emersed in a society steeped in prayer and prayers, and of practices both pious and pompus.
For one thing, the Pharisees publicly prayed loudly and long, wearing the prescribed phylacteries (small leather cases that contain four passages of old testament scriptures) one on the forehead, and the other on the left hand. (See Mt. 23:5)
The intended purpose for the phylacteries was to serve as a reminder of what the Lord had done for them by bringing them out of Egypt, and that "the Lord's law may be in your mouth." (Ex. 13:8-10; 16) In essence, these prayers were more "How great I am," rather than, "O LORD, how great Thou art!) Jesus denounced the practice.
Jesus obviously engaged in a type of prayer that differed quite noticeably from the practices in vogue. Rather than rote recitation (routine or repetition carried out mechanically or unthinkingly) Jesus' prayers were a two-way conversation with His Father. Each prayer was fitted to the need and the occasion. Jesus also prayed in the common Aramaic language, rather than the more formal Hebrew.
So, Lord, how do you do this? Teach us to pray like you do, rather than like what we have been seeing and doing.
Think about the "Model Prayer" as a framework, the skeleton for your petitions. Flesh it out; use it as an anchor, a blueprint, a starting point. Pray in a spirit of adoration and reverence. Express your longings for God's kingdom to come, share your joys and sorrows, plead for your needs (not wants.)
Pray in a spirit of forgiveness; to forgive and be forgiven.
Pray in a Spirit of praise. Pray!
January 21, 2007

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Scripture: “Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 106:1 , NIV

We have much to be thankful for. Even though we encounter adversity, we still have much to be thankful for. Above all things, God’s love endures forever!
The Psalms are filled with praises to the LORD, often given in remembrance of past mercies, such as Psalms 105:5; “Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles and the judgments he pronounced.“
We especially need to avoid the snare of “NOW,” wherein we are tempted to say, “What have you done for me lately? I want it now!” Remember, we are in this life for the long haul. Every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
We are often advised to not read ahead in the story to look at the ending. “Don’t spoil the story,” we are told. “Don’t tell the outcome, don’t reveal the plot; you will ruin it.” Well, that may be true of mystery and adventure novels, but that is not what life is about. Look at the ending, the goal.
Many endeavors require planning, goal setting, and methodology. Life is one of them. Any business owner would be quite foolish to say, “I’m just going to buy and sell; I’ll just go with the flow.” Product and procedures are important, and not only goals, but also reviews to discern the results of the program are very necessary.
Consider the example of going on a trip. Not just a meandering trip, following the will ‘o the wisp, but a journey to a specific destination. Out come the maps, and an agenda is developed. Routes are chosen, known obstacles are detoured, contingency plans are developed.
Ahh, contingency plans! So often forgotten in the rush of things, the excitement of the good times. What happens when things turn sour? To quote from the song, “My Favorite Things,”(The Sound of Music) “when the dog bites, when the bee stings,” we need to remember the good times, the favorite things. Let the LORD be your contingency plan. Remember all that He has done.
It is easy to fall into the pit of despondency, to soak in sorrow. Look up, instead of down. Look up to the LORD. Look to His promise of what is to come. Think of the end of the journey.
What traveler will say, “Flat tire ends the trip! I’m just going to sit here and sulk all day, and maybe tomorrow, too!”
No, you fix that flat, you get back on the road. You proceed to your goal, your destination.
God has promised us the greatest destination ever! Focus on it. Whatever else happens along the way is a piffling trifle. Cast it aside, and say with Paul, “Giv(e) thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” Col 1:12, NIV
November 23, 2003

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Scripture: The Psalmist wrote, “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:” Psalm 92:1, KJV
The celebration of Thanksgiving in America is forever entertwined with the Pilgrims. We readily associate the “thanksgiving” event with the successful harvest and providential relationship with the Indians following a very hard and sorrowful first winter. Sickness and death laid heavily upon the settlers, who were not prepared for a harsh New England winter.
Most of us, however, have little knowledge about the Pilgrims beyond the ship Mayflower, the Plymouth settlement, and the “thanksgiving” feast. First, here are a few facts gleaned from my friendly encyclopedia:
They did not call themselves ‘Pilgrims.’ that name was given to them about 1793.
They were adherents of a religion considered to be “purified” and simplified compared to the Church of England.
Many Puritans became Separatists, setting up independent congregations based upon the Presbyterian system.
The basic principles of Puritanism entailed removal of ornaments and organs (musical instruments) from churches, substituting ordinary dress for clerical robes, discontinuing choir singing, and otherwise simplified church services. Later, in England, the Puritans gained enough control to severely restrict amusements and impose a rigid Puritan austerity. The 1600’s were a time of much turmoil within England. It coincided with the settlement of new lands recently made available in America. With the restoration of the Established Church of England, the Presbyterians and Independents were excluded as ‘Non-conformists;’ many therefore chose to migrate to settlements where they could be truly independent in forms of worship and government.
The Puritans/Pilgrims were not the only people to espouse thankfulness. Giving thanks to God is prominent throughout the Bible, from which they based the practice. Look through a concordance of the Bible, and you will find many references in both the Old and New Testaments to giving thanks and being thankful. Jesus is often found “Giving Thanks.” It is good to remember their celebration of Thanksgiving, of course, but we should give thanks for all things from God, at all times.
Even if the Pilgrims had not endowed us with the legacy of “Thanksgiving,” there are many, many ways their beliefs and practices are to be seen in our daily lives.
The Puritans believed in popular education, high standards of morality, many democratic political principles, and alliance with mercantile interests (the Puritan Work Ethic.) What we are can never be separated from what they were, for which we should indeed be thankful.
November 24, 2002

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Scripture: Psalm 42: “As a hart pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” (vss. 1, 2

Dehydration is not a pleasant experience for the body to undergo. Loss of fluids in the system triggers a survival reaction; we become thirsty, very, very thirsty. The body clamors for water, for restoration of the delicate balance that nature intended for proper functioning of life.
It is one thing to simply become thirsty, knowing that a supply of cooling, refreshing water is near at hand, and accessible. I can only imagine the longing, the panic that develops, when that survival urge kicks in, knowing not where water is to be found. Cartoonists often draw a picture of some bedraggled soul, crawling across the desert sands, often past the bones of some long departed, unfortunate creature, while the unforgiving sun boils down. Dry, very dry, and no relief in sight.
Oh, they may include a mirage, that image of a lake or well, off in the distance. Unobtainable, unreachable, but a vision of salvation, of a reality that does exist somewhere. Such is the image of the hart (deer) that I see in the Psalm 42:1.
We need to think beyond thirsty. The hart “pants” for water. Breathing comes in gasps, but sucking in the dry air only exacerbates the thirst. The search for water becomes frantic; the longing and the finding both unquenchable.
Thirsty? Sure, go get something to drink. Chances are, if you are reading this, you are near a source of refreshment. What a relief! Think of those times when you want to savor each and every drop, to roll it around on your tongue, to rejoice in the very feel of the cup or glass in your hand. How unlike the panic of an unrewarded longing for life-giving water is the ultimate reassurance that water is available, and in plenteous supply. May you ever find it so.
I have heard a story told of a ship, becalmed for many days, surrounded by water, undrinkable, salty sea water. The crew had exhausted their supply of drinkable water. They became every bit as thirsty as a man crawling across the desert. Drifting off the coast of South America, they spotted a ship in the distance. Oh! How they longed to catch up to that ship, to acquire that one thing they so desperately needed, but did not have. Coming into hailing distance, they called out for water. Back came the response, “Let down your buckets.”
“What!” they cried out. What fate was this, that fellow sailors could be so cruel.
“Let down your buckets,” again came the shout. “You are sailing in the Amazon river. You are surrounded by fresh water.”
How often we sail the oceans and deserts of life, bereft of the life-giving, thirst quenching “water of life,” knowing not that we are surrounded by a vast river of God’s saving grace. We cry out, “My soul pants for you, O God.” The desert sands of neglect and the mirages we chase of “the good life” lead to separation from the very thing that would sustain us. With the psalmist, we thirst for God, for the living God. “When can we go and meet with God, “ we moan. Jesus calls to us, ”Let down your buckets, and I will give you living water.”
(See John 4:13)
There is an oasis in the middle of the desert of life, a source of love. Rejoin the multitude, the procession to the house of God, “with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.” (Ps. 42:4) With the psalmist let us proclaim, “Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my savior and my God. (Ps. 42:11)

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Scripture: . . . though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials . . .these have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold . . . may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7 NIV
The Apostles said, “Increase our faith.” Lk. 17:5
Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, I accompanied my children as we participated in walkathons for charity. Twenty-five miles is more than most people walk in our day and age, but we had faith that we could do it, and we did! Why were we so sure that we could? Because they all participated in track competition in school, and I did a lot of walking, and even some running. We had conditioned our bodies through exercise to build up our stamina to go the distance.
It didn’t matter whether people walked, jogged, or ran the walkathon. Each mile completed earned a pledged amount toward charity; naturally, everyone wanted to finish the full twenty-five miles so they could turn in the maximum amount possible.
Many people started with high hopes and good cheer, but soon found that muscles, joints and bones that were not used to such treatment soon grew sore and even cramped. Blisters developed on feet that hadn’t developed protective calluses, or from socks and shoes that were not designed for long walks. Energy lagged; rest stops didn’t bring it back. The sponsors of the walkathon knew all about these things. They provided transportation for those who had to drop out, and return by vehicle.
Those who had prepared well waved as the drop-outs rode by . . . and kept on walking.
Conditioning the body for such extensive exercise requires a lot of long, hard work. Even the attitude, the mind-set, has to be developed as well as muscle and bone. The aches, the pains, the tiredness in the chest proves to be more than many can handle, and they give up.
Do the successful runners not have these problems? Of course they do, but each obstacle becomes a challenge rather than a discouragement. They soon know the euphoria that comes from achieving mastery over the limitations on body and spirit. Their faith grows not because they have no problems, but because they have overcome each and every one that has been thrown at them!
Now think about our spiritual life. Paul compared it to a race. A race not so much for speed, as for endurance. The objective is to finish. Each discouragement we encounter, each prayer that doesn’t seem to be answered OUR WAY, can be overcome for those look to the Master Teacher for the answers. The hard knocks of life can become Faith Builders, rather than Faith Destroyers, for those who wait upon the Lord.
June 10, 2001