Monday, October 31

Psalm 24:1-2

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

Reflection

This verse of scripture teaches us that everything that has been created (including us) belongs to the Lord.  So, logically, if we believe this truth everything we have is a blessing from the Lord.  Everything comes from the Lord and belongs to the Lord.  This will change how we use our money.  If we believe that all that we have comes from God, then we can live gratefully for what we have and we can share with others when we have more than we need.  Instead of believing that we are responsible for what we have, we praise God for how he has blessed us.  This enables us to see our money and our possessions in a much different light.

Do you believe that all you have is a gift from God? 

If you do then take some time to thank God for that attitude and thank God for the blessings he has bestowed upon you.

October 30- November 5

What Have We Accomplished?

Exodus 36:1-7

So Bezalel, and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded.  Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work.  They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary.  And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning.  So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done.”  Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.”  And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.

This week we are going to look at what we have accomplished as we have focused on what it means to live according to God’s financial principles.  This will give us time to reflect on what has happened in each of our lives and to celebrate the changes that God has made in each of us and how we handle our money.

The story in Exodus gives one example of how the Israelites were able to accomplish much when they were willing to allow the Spirit of God to work through them and activate their generosity and to give them a new perspective on how to handle their money.  So much was donated to build the tabernacle that Moses had to command the people to stop giving!  Imagine that.  They actually had to tell the people to stop giving because they had more than enough.  That represented a great change of heart and mind in the Israelite people regarding how they viewed and used their money.

This week during the daily devotionals we are going to look at what we have accomplished regarding how we handle our money.  We will be using specific scriptures on money throughout the Bible.

Saturday, October 29

Reflection

Today, let’s take a moment to reflect on what we have learned this week.  What kind of manager are we?  God has blessed us with resources whether it is a little or a lot.  What have we done with what we have been entrusted?  Have we been faithful or wasteful?

Bottom line is this: A bad manager cannot give back to God.  Only a faithful manager can give back to God.

Friday, October 28

Matthew 25:28-30

“Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents.  For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.  Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.  And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

Reflection

God is generous as he blesses us.  The main question is what have we done with the blessings?  How have we managed what God has given us?  Are we like the two servants who carefully and faithfully used the master’s resources to make him more?  Or are we like the man who buried his one talent? 

Only we can answer those questions.

Thursday, October 27

Matthew 25:24-27

“Then the man who had received the one talent came.  ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground.  See, here is what belongs to you.’  His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant!  So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?  Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.”

Reflection

The first two men in this story represent faithful, good managers.  This man took what his master gave him and did nothing with it.  This man didn’t have any gratitude or thankfulness for the opportunity his master gave him by entrusting this money to his care.  He simply kept it and then gave it back.  That is not faithfulness; that is wastefulness.

When God takes stock of what we have done with what he has entrusted to us will he find us faithful or will he find us wasteful?

Wednesday, October 26

Matthew 25:22-23

“The man with the two talents also came.  ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’  His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master’s happiness!’”

Reflection

Many times we feel that if we have less than someone else then we cannot be faithful with God’s resources like the person who has more.  This part of the story proves that wrong.  This man was entrusted with three less talents than his colleague, however, he took his responsibility seriously and he used the money he was given in a wise and prudent way and he doubled the amount he was given.  He didn’t have as much as the first individual but he didn’t use that as an excuse not to be faithful.  He did what he could with what he had.  He, too, was rewarded for his faithfulness.

Regardless of what you have been given, little or much, have you been faithful with what has been entrusted to you?

Tuesday, October 25

Matthew 25:19-21

“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.  The man who had received the five talents brought the other five.  ‘Master, he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents.  See, I have gained five more.’  His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master’s happiness!’”

Reflection

This individual is an example of someone who is faithful with his Master’s resources.  He took the five talents and made five more.  He didn’t do that because he was greedy because ultimately he returned all that he had to his master.  However, because he was faithful, his master returned to him the original five talents and the additional five.  The lesson is that as we are faithful with what God gives us God’s blessing will continue to flow.

How has God blessed your faithfulness?