Burdened?

Are You Burdened?

Numbers 4:31

"And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof,"

When God appointed men to work in the tabernacle of the congregation, He charged them with a burden. It is interesting that when talking about their tasks God says, "And this is the charge of their burden,..." Yes, God was saying that this would be the load that they must carry, but He was saying more than that. God was saying that the tasks that these men were supposed to carry out should be their burden or focus of their heart. God knew these men made their tasks the focus of their heart that they would give their best effort in what they did.

Everything you do in life you should do for God. Whether what you do is for the church, family or career, it should all be done for God's glory. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." God does not divide tasks in your life and say that some are important and others are not. God says that everything you do should be done for the LORD. If you want to be successful in what you do for the LORD, then everything you do should become your burden.

When something is a burden, it will consume you. Your thought life will constantly think about whatever you're doing. A burden will cause you to give your best effort. Whenever you are doing what you are burdened about, you find yourself doing your best because you are burdened for it. A burden will motivate you to keep going. One of the biggest reasons people quit their tasks is because they are not burdened for what they are doing. A burden will also cause you to sacrifice. You will find that when you are burdened for something, you are more willing to give up things for it. You will find that sacrificing pleasure is not that difficult when you are burdened for something. This is why God called these tasks a burden, for He wants you to make everything you do for Him your burden.

Let me ask you, are you burdened for your responsibilities at your church? Too many Christians give a second-rate effort when it comes to the work of the LORD. You should let your responsibilities in the church consume your mind and efforts. No, this doesn't mean that you should not give time to your family, but what it does mean is that you should share this burden with your family. When your whole family is burdened for the same task, you will find it is easier to keep close to every family member.

Let me ask you, are you burdened for your family? Every person should be burdened about their family serving God. Your family's effort in serving the LORD should consume your thoughts. You should constantly think about how you and your family can serve the LORD together.

Furthermore, are you burdened for the career God has given you? You must realize that God has given you the career you have, and because of this you should give your best effort towards it. You should strive to be the best in your field. You should strive to improve in what you are doing. If you are burdened for your career, then you will find these things are not difficult.

Finally, are you burdened for the souls of men? Every Christian should be a soul winner. The eternity of people should consume your passions. Knowing that you have the responsibility to get the Gospel to people should motivate you to witness to everyone you see.

Yes, you need a burden. You need to be burdened for everything you do in life. When you become burdened for all that you do, you will find that your life will have purpose.

Having, But Not

Having, But Not Experiencing God's Blessings

Leviticus 26:3-4

"If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit."

In this chapter, God shows His children the conditions for not only having His blessings, but also experiencing His blessings. God shows what we must do to be able to have His blessings, but also what things will cause us to lose His blessings. If you are like me, I truly want God's blessings on and in my life. God shows us what kind of blessings we can have if we will do right.

First, we will have fruits for our labors. There is nothing worse than working hard and watching what you worked so hard for not come to fruition. God says that if you will do right, you will see the fruits of your labors. If the only reason you do right is not to work in vain, then that should be enough to motivate you to do right.

Second, God will give us peace if we do right. Everyone desires to have peace in their life. This world is in constant search for peace, but many times they never find it because they are searching for peace in the wrong way. You get God's peace in your life by doing right. Doing right has a way of making you at peace with yourself and God. Peace is not acquired. It is a result of doing right.

Third, you will gain God's respect if you will do right. God promises that He will take your side if you do right. What confidence you can have in your life knowing that God is always on your side if you will do right. Knowing that you have God's favor and respect will help you in every endeavor of life.

Fourth, you will gain God's presence by doing right. If the only reason you do right is to have the presence of God on your life, then that should be enough. The Christian life is empty without God's presence. Only with His presence will you find the true satisfaction you truly desire in life.

What is interesting about these blessings is that they depend upon you doing something. In other words, you can have God's blessings at your disposal, but if you don't do something then you won't experience them. For instance, God promised rain to give you fruit, but you have to sow in order to reap. God promised peace, but you will have to fight to get it. God promised He would be on your side, but you will have to continually walk the old-time way. God promised His presence will be with you, but you must take time to walk with Him if you want His presence. In other words, you can literally have God's blessings, but not experience them because you are not doing what it takes to experience them.

Christian, God intended for you to experience His blessings. Just because you have them at your disposal does not mean that you have experienced God's blessings on your life. There are many Christians who stopped doing wrong and have God's blessings at their disposal, but you will only experience those blessings by doing right. Don't be one who only has God blessings, but be one who experiences God's blessings as well. The Christian who experiences God's blessings is the Christian who makes the greatest impact on those around them. Don't waste God's blessings by having them but not using them. God's blessings are meant to be used, but they will only be used when you experience them by doing something for God.

Leave Some

Leave Some

Leviticus 19:10

"And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God."

I spent most of my childhood years growing up in an agricultural community. It was a common sight to see workers harvesting the field while leaving some of the crops in the field. When they were done harvesting, you would frequently see some people go through that field and glean from the leftovers.

This is what God commanded the children of Israel to do when they harvested their crops. God wanted them to "leave them for the poor and stranger:..." This principle was important for God to bless whoever owned that field. The person who owned the field could be selfish and make sure that there was nothing to glean, but if they did this they would not have God's blessings upon their crops. In other words, God would bless them with a greater harvest if they learned to leave some for the poor.

One of the greatest principles any person can learn is to let others enjoy God's blessings with you. I often say that some may be eating the crumbs off another man's blessings, but that is what God desires. When God blesses you in any area of life, you should learn to share that blessing with others. God did not bless you for you to keep that blessing all to yourself, but God intended for you to share it with others. There are several areas where this principle can be applied.

In the area of finances you need to learn to share God's blessings. If God has blessed you financially, then you would be wise to share some of those blessings with the poor. If you want God to continue to bless your finances, then the greatest way to keep those blessings coming is by helping those who are without. When you see someone struggling financially, then you should help them if you have the wherewithal.

In the area of a successful project, you need to learn to share the glory of that success with others. You will often see great people not take the glory for themselves, but most of the time they deflect that glory to those who will never get the recognition. Be careful about being someone who always has to get the glory for everything. Don't be selfish with the glory of your success. Always remember that others had a part in your success, and you should be quick to share your glory with them.

In the area of your church ministries, be sure that you do not to take all the glory of a successful day for yourself. Leave some glory for others to enjoy. You would be surprised how people will give more if you are willing to leave some glory for them to enjoy. If you always take the credit for a great day and never let others enjoy some of the glory, then you will find it hard to motivate them to help you the next time. Leave some glory for them.

One of the greatest ways to motivate people to help you as you serve God is to learn to leave some glory for them when you experience God's blessings. Getting people to help you with projects is not hard if they see that you are willing to share the credit with them. The principle of leaving some glory for others will allow you to always have people to help when you pursue your next project or goal.

Plague

The Plague of Sin

Leviticus 13:45-46

"And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be."

God spent much time and detail telling the children of Israel how to deal with the plague of leprosy. Leprosy was a very infectious disease in those days, and they had no cure for it. Leprosy was a disease that would literally rot the body. Those who had it knew that their life was short because nobody could survive it because there was no cure, God told Moses that those who had leprosy must be taken without the camp and dwell alone for the rest of their life. The affects of leprosy on a person's life were very tragic.

In the Scriptures, leprosy is a type of sin. When you look at what leprosy did to a person's body, you will find that sin will have the exact same affect on a person's life. With leprosy being a type of sin, the verse above shows us the lasting effects that sin will have on a person's life.

First, sin will make you sick that you have committed it. You may think that sin will be fun, but it is only fun for a time and afterwards there is regret. Certainly sin can offer a great time, but it never tells you how it will leave you. Don't fall for the lie of sin. Sin will leave you feeling sick, and you will regret the moment that you accepted its invitation.

Second, sin will change your appearance. Leprosy changed the appearance of an individual in many ways. One of the ways it changed their appearance was when their limbs would fall off. Another way it changed one's appearance was that they had to cover their upper lip so that people knew to stay away from them. It is amazing to me to see how sin ages those who live its life. You look at those who lived right and you will see a stark difference from those who've lived a life of sin. You may enjoy your appearance now, but if you choose to live a life of sin it will change that innocent young look to a hardened old look. The best way to look young is to live a right life, for a life of sin will age anyone.

Third, sin will make you an outcast. Those who had leprosy had to be placed without the camp and cry, "Unclean." Whether or not we like it, sin always leaves a mark on one's life that will cause them to be an outcast. I know, Christians are to be in the restoration business, but the fact is that many who chose sin's offer live the rest of their lives feeling like an outcast.

Fourth, sin will leave you all alone. Those who had leprosy lived without the camp for the rest of their life. Christian, sin will always leave you lonely. Those who lured you into sin will leave you when you have nothing more to offer. Sin has lonely effects. If you want to grow old and be happy, then you would be wise to live a right life, for if you don't you will find yourself all alone.

I cannot caution you enough about sin. Many times it seems that as a preacher I am preaching to the wind as some won't listen and think that they can live in sin and it affecting them. You are no different than anyone else. Sin is a plague that will dig deep and without damage your spiritual and physical life. Don't listen to sin! Heed God's warnings and do right so that you can avoid the loneliness and heartache of sin.

Providing

Providing For Your Own

1 Timothy 5:8

"But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."

This chapter begins by God telling the church how to take care of the widows. God made it very clear that the children are to take care of the widow; however, when there is no family to take care of the widow, then the church needs to do its best to make sure her needs are well cared for.

In the verse above, God shows that the best way to deal with this problem of taking care of widows is for the husband to provide for her, even when he is gone. God makes this such a strong statement that He says a man who doesn't provide for his own is "...worse than an infidel." An infidel is an unsaved person who is untrustworthy. God was not just talking about a person not being saved, but He adds to the degree by saying they are untrustworthy. This means that if a Christian man does not provide for his wife to the day of her death, then an untrustworthy lost man is a better person than he. I believe providing for your own means several things.

First, a man who provides for his own is a man who leads the home spiritually. Notice that God compared the person who doesn't provide for his own to an infidel. That means the man should lead the home by getting saved. It is sad when a man is a hard worker, but won't get saved. Sir, do you realize that if you were to die that your wife and children will never see you again? Part of taking care of your own is to take care of your eternity. If you are not saved, then you need to care for this.

Second, taking care of your own implies that a man is trustworthy. Part of being an infidel is being untrustworthy. Every man should be someone who can be trusted. When you say you are going to do something, then be sure to find a way to follow through. Be trustworthy in your marriage vows. Don't give your wife a reason not to trust your fidelity. You can provide security to your wife by being trustworthy in every area of your life.

Third, a man should be the bread winner of the home. We live in a society where it pushes the woman to be the bread winner of the home. God never intended for it to be this way. God intended for the husband to be the one who earns the living to pay for the bills and daily needs. Every man should do everything in his power to earn enough money to pay the bills so that it allows his wife to stay at home to care for the children.

Fourth, a man should also take care of his wife when he is gone. The context of the verse above is mainly talking about providing for your spouse after your death. That means you should make sure that you have a good retirement program. There is no better time to start preparing for retirement than now. You may be starting later in life, but later is better than never. Furthermore, I think it is wise to have life insurance. A life insurance policy will go a long way in making sure your wife is cared for when you are gone. Talk to a qualified person about this topic as there are many views about life insurance. Moreover, I believe you can provide after you are gone by setting up a revocable living trust. This will help you to be sure that when both husband and wife are gone that their assets are cared for a manner in which God would be pleased.

I certainly understand that sometimes adverse circumstances can mess up your plans, but you should do your best to make sure to care for all of these areas. The government is not responsible to care for your family. You are! Let this devotional spur your concern about making sure that you are preparing for all of these areas.

Stablished

Stablished in the Faith

2 Thessalonians 3:3

"But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil."

One of God's desires for every Christian is to be established in life. What the world does not understand about the Christian life is that if one will live it, they will be a person who is established in every area of life. The Christian life is not some weird lifestyle by which people live, but it is common-sense living to help people be established so they can achieve great things for God.

The word "stablish" is the same word we use for established. Four times in 1 and 2 Thessalonians you will find the word "stablish." God gave us the Word of God to establish us. These four verses show what a person must do to establish their life. Let me say that if a person will follow these things in business or in their career, they will also be able to establish themselves in these areas.

First, holy living will help a person to be established. 1 Thessalonians 3:13 says, "To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." Notice that holiness is a part of being stablished. Holy living is setting yourself apart for the purpose of serving and pleasing God. It is living a life blameless from sin. Let me help you to look at this through different eyes. Unholy living will cause you to be unstable in life. If holy living establishes us, then unholy living makes us unstable. Living your life according to the Word of God causes you to be stable for everything you do will be right, which will make you stronger. Don't listen to the lies of the world. Listen to the Word of God and live the holy life that God commands you to live. Doing right always causes a person to be more stable.

Second, 2 Thessalonians 2:17 shows us that comforting the hearts of others will help you to be established. The reason it will establish you is because you are no longer living a life for yourself, you are living for others. When you live for others, you are not concerned with how you are treated. You are concerned with making sure others are treated right. This will cause your surroundings to have less turmoil caused by selfish living. Live your life to help others, and you will find yourself becoming a pillar among those you are around.

Third, 2 Thessalonians 2:17 also shows us that good works will help you to be established. There are many who can talk about all the things they don't do, but what things are you doing? Christian, it is not enough to do away with the bad works of your life, but you must replace those works with good works. When you do good works, then you are setting the foundation for a healthy future.

Fourth, the verse above teaches that staying away from evil will help establish you. Evil is doing wrong with the intent to hurt someone. Don't ever do anything with the intent to hurt someone. Evil always causes instability. For instance, gossip is evil. Gossip is done to hurt people. Don't ever let a desire to destroy someone enter your heart.

Last, James 5:8 shows us that a resolute belief that Jesus is coming again will help establish you. The reason it establishes you is because it gives you a confidence that what you are doing will eventually be repaid. It will keep you from jumping from one thing to the other. Let me assure you that God will reward you one day. We don't know when that day will come, but you can rest assured that Jesus is coming again, and that all that you do and go through in life will eventually be worth it all. If you keep the hope that Jesus is coming again, then you will find a stable life.