Wednesday 9 January 2008

Wednesday Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:16-21
 
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 8:21
21  providing for honest things, not only before the Lord, but also before men.
 
Devotion:
Nowadays we do not think too much about sending things through the mail or via courier services. We trust the companies that run these services with all manner of things because they have proven to be honest most of the time. There are a few cases where things have gone missing in the care of various companies, but these quite often get sorted out and explained. We, as Christians should be doing our best to continue in trust and being trusted.
 
God is the one that has given us all manner of things to look after in this world and it is our duty to be good stewards of those things. He allows us to have charge of things if He knows we can deal with them or if He wants to prove to us that we can deal with them. He is the one that knows the truth, we are the ones that need to show that we try to keep with that truth constantly. Being a good steward does not just mean giving things to others to do, passing the buck... we have to be willing to stand up and be counted as one who is trustworthy and willing to do the things that count.
 
It's not just about having physical things in our care, but also the Word of God. He has given us His Word so that we can look after it, make sure others get to hear it and make sure that it is passed on to further generations. Being a good steward means doing that which is right in the sight of God and also before men. Following the rules of those around us whilst we break God's rules is not going to make us honest – it will prove to a single person or ground that we will break the same rules as they do, but it also shows everyone else that we break God's rules. Standing up for God's rules will allow them to see that we will not compromise God's rules and prove that we are good stewards of His Word as well as someone that can be trusted!
 
Points to Ponder:
Do people trust you?
 
How much trust do you think God gives to you?