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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness Gal 5:22 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for collecting daily manna), make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Monday, January 15, 2018
Today's Passage : Today's Passage: Subjecta:Earthly Matters vs. Spiritual Concerns Bible Verse:2 Corinthians 4:1-6 (ESV) "Since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." Message:
Today’s reading continues the theme of last Sunday: How much time and effort should we spend pursuing earthly goods, and how much time and effort should we expend to gain and celebrate God’s grace? There is no easy answer. It is tempting to say that there is an easy answer, i.e., we should spend every waking minute in the worship and service of Christ, and should give almost no thought to the needs of our earthly body.
Job from Bible, by Bonnat
Job
But this isn’t a realistic answer for most of us. Very few people are called to the monastic life. Even most people who are called to spread God’s word as a “full-time” vocation, such as priests, ministers, pastors, evangelists, etc., enjoy the fruits of the earth. Many marry and have children. Most of them enjoy a good meal and a warm bed in a shelter that protects them from the elements. Most have some sort of hobby or avocation. And even monks eat and sleep!
Paul gives us, in this verse, a bright-line standard of “how much is too much”; that is, we cannot be so wrapped up in earthly life that we are blinded by “the god of this world” to the gospel of the glory of Christ. It is something people must decide for themselves, but it is worth constant self-examination, or perhaps (if we feel uncertain) a conversation with a friend whose relationship with God is solid.
I suggest sitting in a quiet relaxing place, asking for God’s guidance, and simply asking yourself, “Are the things of this world interfering with my ability to know and follow Christ?”
Meditation : Prayer : And finally, may the grace of Christ our Savior, and the Father’s boundless love, with the Holy Spirit’s favor, rest upon me, and all of us, from above. Thus may we abide in union, with each other and the Lord, and possess, in sweet communion, joys which earth cannot afford......Amen. |
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