Daily Encouragement | A scripture-based, 60-second, challenge toward fidelity in living-out the call to Christian discipleship! | Page 77

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“He (Job) said, ‘Naked I came from my mother, and naked I will return. The Lord has given, and the Lord has taken away! May the name of the Lord be praised.'” (Job 1:21, God’s Word Translation)

Shame on us if we need to fall as low as Job fell before we begin to comprehend the fact of our “nakedness.”

Everything we acquire during our lifetime is borrowed. Our children: Borrowed. Our health: Borrowed. The air we breath: Borrowed (at a rate of approximately 14 breaths per minute). Even our names are borrowed from others, and shared with other people we’ve not even met (try “Googling” your name and see how many other people there are with the same name!).

We err when we think that we may become owners of anything. On the contrary, many times, “things” own us!

Freedom comes when we begin to view ourselves as stewards of God’s gifts to us — not as owners. As borrowers, rather than keepers.

All of God’s gifts are entrusted to us to risk for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is God’s to give; it is God’s to risk; it is God’s to lose; it is God’s to increase for His glory.

We are His agents; channels of His mercy and grace. We only fail when we think of God’s gifts as our own to hoard, or to use for our own benefit. – Luther

Tagged nakedness, possessions, the book of Job

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“Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.” (Acts 15:37-40, NIV)

Paul and Barnabas were a phenomenal team. Together, by the power of God, they had performed miracles, cheated death, and seen hundreds — if not thousands — of people come to faith in Jesus as a direct result of their faithfulness to God.

In today’s scripture, we read about the end of that great team because of a personal disagreement.

It is helpful to note that they did not disagree over money; they did not disagree over who was the best or the biggest. They did, however, disagree over whether to include in their work John Mark — who had deserted them.

They disagreed sharply — as competent people often do — but they did not prolong their disagreement. They agreed to disagree; and parted company with the blessing of the church as they proceeded in their respective tasks.

As disciples, remember that although we may sometimes disagree with our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we should never allow our disagreements to stand in the way of loving them without reservation.

In such situations, remember the adage: “In the essentials, unity. In the non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, charity.” – Luther

Tagged disagreement, division, Paul and Barnabas, the book of Acts

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“Now that we know what we have — Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God — let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all — all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.” (Hebrews 4:14-16, The Message)

If you believe that asking for help as a sign of weakness, you’re right! It is a sign of weakness.

Knowing our true state, God has provided the example of His Son — tested in every human situation, and having passed each test with a perfect score; and He has provided His own spirit to give us the inspiration and the power to succeed.

Trouble and trial stalk us like prey. “Take the mercy. Accept the help.” – Luther

Tagged books, dogs, fun, God's mercy, God's provision, inspiration, religion, the book of Hebrews, trial, trouble