Weekend Words

 From Our Daily Bread...

Choosing to Honor God - Read Psalm 18:20-27

"To the faithful you show yourself faithful." - Psalm 18:25

In the novella Family Happiness by Leo Tolstoy, the main characters Sergey and Masha meet when Masha is young and impressionable.  Sergey is an older, well-traveled businessman who understands the world beyond the rural setting where Masha lives.  Over time, the two fall in love and marry.

They settle in the countryside, but Masha becomes bored with her surroundings.  Sergey, who adores her, arranges a trip to St Petersburg.  There, Masha's beauty and charm bring her instant popularity.  Just as the couple is about to return home, a prince arrives in town, wanting to meet her.  Sergey knows he can force Masha to leave with him, but he lets her make the decision.  She chooses to stay, and her betrayal breaks his heart.

Like Sergey, God will never force us to be faithful to Him.  Because He loves us, He lets us choose for or against Him.  Our first choice for Him happens when we receive His Son, Jesus Christ, as the sacrifice for our sin (1 John 4:9-10). After that, we have a lifetime of decisions to make.

Will we chose faithfulness to God as His Spirit guides us or let the world entice us?  David's life wasn't perfect, but he often wrote about keeping "the ways of the Lord" and the good outcome that came from doing so (Psalm 18:21-24).  When our choices honor God, we can experience the blessing David described: to the faithful, God shows Himself faithful.

- Jennifer Benson Schuldt

When was the last time you made a difficult decision that honored God?  How did it affect your relationship with Him?

Dear God, help me to honor you with the choices I make.  Thank you for loving me faithfully throughout my life.

From Be Still and Know...

Then Jesus turned, and saw two following Him, and sayeth unto them, "What seek ye?" (John 1:38)

One day Jesus saw two men following Him.  He turned to them, asking, "What seek ye?"  It could have been to satisfy their curiosity.  Or they may have wanted to know more about Him.

He invited them to spend the day with Him.  We are not told what they talked about, but when they returned, Andrew said, "We have found the Messiah."  His search was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

If the Lord were to ask us today, "What seek ye?" what would our answer be?  Are we seeking material things, a new home, new furniture, a new car, pleasures, fame, social position?  Many of these things are attractive, many are good.  Yet we have to confess they have not brought the satisfaction we expected.  We are still longing for something more, something we do not have.  Only inner peace and fulfillment, not material possessions, bring satisfaction.

There was once a young girl who had a strand of pearls which she treasured very much.  One evening when her father came home, he asked her if she would give him her pearls.  Although they were only imitation, she prized them highly.  How could she part with them?  As her father continued to hold out his hand, she quietly considered his request.

Finally she slowly went to her room for her pearls.  As she returned, she dropped them into his hand.  Then he reached his hand into his pocket, drawing our a box which he placed in her hand.  As she opened it, she gazed on a beautiful strand of real pearls.

What are you seeking today?  Satisfaction from material things?  Satisfaction from that which is just an imitation? True satisfaction will never come from things that have only earthly value.

Only in Jesus Christ will you find that which has eternal value.  Complete fulfillment comes not from possessions, but from a Person, Jesus Christ.

"What seek YE?"  God promises, "And YE shall seek ME, and find me, when ye shall search for me with ALL your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13)