Back in April Karen and I traveled to Panama City, FL to keep Abigail and John (our grand kids) while Daniel our son had a hernia repair. This was our third trip to Dan and Sarah’s place so we knew of the pleasures awaited us when we arrived; our grand kids, Sarah’s great cooking and hospitality, time spent with Dan is always a reward for us, and yes the short walk from their home to the Beacon Beach Marina and then the long walks along the white powdery sand beach. Every day, twice a day, we would take the kids and the dogs (they need their exercise too) and go for a walk. We really enjoyed our walks, the exercise the great weather, the sandy beaches, God really did a masterful job when He made the beaches and scenery around Tydnall Air Force Base housing. Well on this day we walked over to the pier that goes out in the water about 50 yards, just enough to be able to throw out a line and not be able to clearly see the bottom. The pier is about three quarters of a mile from Dan and Sarah’s and since the weather was nice so we decided to walk down to the marina another mile and a half. At first I did not want to walk down to the marina, but suddenly there were swells (this is the only way to describe it) of desire to walk down to the marina, so off we went. This was a strange feeling indeed so I knew God had something great in mind for us that morning and I also knew I needed to just go along for the ride. We walked the distance with two kids and two dogs in tow without any difficulty yet I was puzzled, after all God has something great in store for us. As we rounded the beginning of the parking lot that leads to the marina club house and restaurant, the really nice sail boats moored along the floating docks, and the causeway where we often fish, the Lord directed my attention to an object laying in the middle of the parking lot. As we continued to walk it seemed as if the Lord was directing my path right for the object so I just went along with what the Lord was doing. As we got closer I could see it was some type of camera, well when I picked it up it was more than some type of camera it was a Sony 10 megapixel with all of the bells and whistles. I will be honest I first thought, wow God gave us a new camera (I even told this to Karen), but Karen’s good Catholic up bringing kicked in and she said Dave you cannot keep that camera it is not yours. And I said yea you are right and just then the great thing God lined up for us that day was revealed when the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “I was waiting for you to come by and find it, I knew I could count on you to do the right thing.” Sheepishly I relied yes, Lord thank you and walked over to the marina club house and gave it to the lady who runs the place. I do not know what she did with it and it does not matter I did that which was right before God and man. She could have kept it for herself or she could have asked some of the people who live on the boats at the marina or she even could have asked some of the fishermen who come by to put their boats in the water, but again it does not matter I did that which was right and now finding the camera’s true owner was not my responsibility I did my part. I later mediated on this and thought what if I would have kept the camera? Why would God have me find something as small and insignificant as a camera? Never forget God will check us out to see how much of His character and integrity is in us. God is more concerned about how much of his character and integrity that is in us than how long we can pray, prophesy, or praise Him. It has been my observance over the many years of being a Christian those that are more concerned about praying, prophesying, or praising God have developed only a little bit of His character and integrity.
Now the answer to both of these questions can be found in a wonderful parable Jesus shared with the disciples recorded in Luke. I like to include verses eight and nine, the words are so telling to the deception and worldliness of the unjust steward. Here in Luke we read, “And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. 9And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.” (Luke 16:8-9) Here the Lord commends the unjust steward because he had done wisely far greater than the children of light. And did you get that, not everlasting life, but “when ye fail (what a promise from God), they (the children of this world) may receive you into everlasting habitations.” (Strong’s #4639, shade caused by the interception of light, an image cast by an object and representing the form of that object, a sketch, outline, adumbration) If we willfully enter into such a relationship (our choice) then we will be brought into an everlasting shadow of the true substance for the things of God. Here Jesus is giving them a choice; they can make friends with the children of the world because they are better at handing money and earthly things or (now this really sets up the next three verses) “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” (Luke 16:10) Faithfulness in the least is one of the greatest qualities God is looking for us to develop. God is looking for us to be faithful in little things, not big things, but little things. Things we think have no bearing on our spiritual growth and development. We may think something is insignificant, but my friend God sees it as important. God will look into the least of things He finds us moving and operating in. He will scrutinize (closely examine) us in these things to see how we behave in the least, not in the greatest. Just like with the Sony camera I found (I could have kept it and no one except God and Karen would have known), but God wants to know how faithful or unfaithful are we in those little things. God gives us things, He brings us into little difficult situations so He can see us operate in the insignificant things.
Did you know God is also looking for faithfulness in unrighteous mammon? “If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon (money, treasures, and riches), who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (Luke 16:11) If we are not faithful in that which does not apply directly to God’s righteousness then God cannot and will not commit righteous things into our hands. For example, we can not say a car or money is righteous. These things are not classified in the righteous category. In fact often we use these things for unrighteousness. Here Jesus is saying draw the contrast of the spiritual and material realm. If we have not been faithful over these unspiritual things that we have been given; who is going to commit to our trust that which is spiritual and righteous? Is God going to commit to us that which is spiritual if we can not be faithful, to use unrighteous or unspiritual things for God’s glory, in the least and that which is unspiritual. If we handle correctly the unrighteous things we then can be trusted by God to handle the righteous and spiritual things. I truly believe God is more concerned about the unspiritual and unrighteous things we do than the righteous and spiritual things.
Never forget God’s goal in our faithfulness is for us to be able to receive from God. “And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?” (Luke 16:12) If we become faithful in the least then God can commit righteous and spiritual riches, even our own things. He commits His things to our keeping, to our trust, to our investment. He pours into our lives, because He has found us to be faithful. The condition to be able to receive your own things is to be “faithful in that which is another man’s.” Do we take care of “another man’s” things when we borrow them? Do we return something back in better condition than what we received it? And to think God wants to give us His things. Here Jesus tell the disciples, “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.” (Matthew 25:14) The servant (us) did not get their own things (goods), it was the goods of their master. The Master is the Lord, he comes and He calls the servant and says here are My goods, I entrust them to you, to your keeping, to your working. You take and carry them. These goods will now be your responsibility. Remember how we respond to the testing of the Lord will be the difference between God not trusting us or God being able to give us something greater in our lives. God will not trust to our keeping anything of spiritual value unless we can prove ourselves and qualify for the next thing God has for us. I hear many Christians pray, “come and bless me, God give me your best.” (they do not even say please) And they will really try to twist God’s arm praying in the name of Jesus. Well, God does not operate that way. Anything we get from God is out from our obedience and faithfulness to Him and those He calls friends. Nothing is free in God, our salvation was not free it cost Jesus His physical life, but more costly His heavenly life. This thought always amazes me, how could Jesus who was before time eternal, who laid the foundation of the universes could empty Himself of all of His heavenly divinity and put on earthly humanity. This to me seems more amazing than dying on a cross for our sins which He did thank God. After all, many people have been crucified and died, but only one man, “the man Christ Jesus” became God in the flesh, lived a sinless life, was crucified for our sins, was buried, and arose from the dead (according to the Scriptures) in great power and authority giving us a hope and purposed end for our lives.
When I found the Sony camera God was counting on us to do the right thing. He knew who He sent by and He knew He could count on us. I often teach on a spiritual principle that God desires to bring into our lives, righteous living. What a wonderful thought a life of living in which everything we do is righteous. Well this is God’s intention for our lives, living where everything we do and say is righteous, it becomes automatic like breathing. We do not have to think to breathe it is an automatic process in our lives. Well this is what God wants for our lives, us so plugged into Him so that His love can grip our heart to such a degree all we do and say becomes righteous. All of our relationships are righteous, we have no desire to take advantage of someone, but desire to see them push forward in the God, true biblical prosperity. It is hard to believe this is what God wants for our lives, but it is true. Are we not sons and daughters of God? Was Jesus not this expression of the Father? Yes and yes, this is God’s intention for us to be able to work in our lives to such a degree where we come into a righteous relationship with Him and others. Until then I guess God is waiting on us. Written by David Stahl
Now the answer to both of these questions can be found in a wonderful parable Jesus shared with the disciples recorded in Luke. I like to include verses eight and nine, the words are so telling to the deception and worldliness of the unjust steward. Here in Luke we read, “And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. 9And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.” (Luke 16:8-9) Here the Lord commends the unjust steward because he had done wisely far greater than the children of light. And did you get that, not everlasting life, but “when ye fail (what a promise from God), they (the children of this world) may receive you into everlasting habitations.” (Strong’s #4639, shade caused by the interception of light, an image cast by an object and representing the form of that object, a sketch, outline, adumbration) If we willfully enter into such a relationship (our choice) then we will be brought into an everlasting shadow of the true substance for the things of God. Here Jesus is giving them a choice; they can make friends with the children of the world because they are better at handing money and earthly things or (now this really sets up the next three verses) “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” (Luke 16:10) Faithfulness in the least is one of the greatest qualities God is looking for us to develop. God is looking for us to be faithful in little things, not big things, but little things. Things we think have no bearing on our spiritual growth and development. We may think something is insignificant, but my friend God sees it as important. God will look into the least of things He finds us moving and operating in. He will scrutinize (closely examine) us in these things to see how we behave in the least, not in the greatest. Just like with the Sony camera I found (I could have kept it and no one except God and Karen would have known), but God wants to know how faithful or unfaithful are we in those little things. God gives us things, He brings us into little difficult situations so He can see us operate in the insignificant things.
Did you know God is also looking for faithfulness in unrighteous mammon? “If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon (money, treasures, and riches), who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (Luke 16:11) If we are not faithful in that which does not apply directly to God’s righteousness then God cannot and will not commit righteous things into our hands. For example, we can not say a car or money is righteous. These things are not classified in the righteous category. In fact often we use these things for unrighteousness. Here Jesus is saying draw the contrast of the spiritual and material realm. If we have not been faithful over these unspiritual things that we have been given; who is going to commit to our trust that which is spiritual and righteous? Is God going to commit to us that which is spiritual if we can not be faithful, to use unrighteous or unspiritual things for God’s glory, in the least and that which is unspiritual. If we handle correctly the unrighteous things we then can be trusted by God to handle the righteous and spiritual things. I truly believe God is more concerned about the unspiritual and unrighteous things we do than the righteous and spiritual things.
Never forget God’s goal in our faithfulness is for us to be able to receive from God. “And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?” (Luke 16:12) If we become faithful in the least then God can commit righteous and spiritual riches, even our own things. He commits His things to our keeping, to our trust, to our investment. He pours into our lives, because He has found us to be faithful. The condition to be able to receive your own things is to be “faithful in that which is another man’s.” Do we take care of “another man’s” things when we borrow them? Do we return something back in better condition than what we received it? And to think God wants to give us His things. Here Jesus tell the disciples, “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.” (Matthew 25:14) The servant (us) did not get their own things (goods), it was the goods of their master. The Master is the Lord, he comes and He calls the servant and says here are My goods, I entrust them to you, to your keeping, to your working. You take and carry them. These goods will now be your responsibility. Remember how we respond to the testing of the Lord will be the difference between God not trusting us or God being able to give us something greater in our lives. God will not trust to our keeping anything of spiritual value unless we can prove ourselves and qualify for the next thing God has for us. I hear many Christians pray, “come and bless me, God give me your best.” (they do not even say please) And they will really try to twist God’s arm praying in the name of Jesus. Well, God does not operate that way. Anything we get from God is out from our obedience and faithfulness to Him and those He calls friends. Nothing is free in God, our salvation was not free it cost Jesus His physical life, but more costly His heavenly life. This thought always amazes me, how could Jesus who was before time eternal, who laid the foundation of the universes could empty Himself of all of His heavenly divinity and put on earthly humanity. This to me seems more amazing than dying on a cross for our sins which He did thank God. After all, many people have been crucified and died, but only one man, “the man Christ Jesus” became God in the flesh, lived a sinless life, was crucified for our sins, was buried, and arose from the dead (according to the Scriptures) in great power and authority giving us a hope and purposed end for our lives.
When I found the Sony camera God was counting on us to do the right thing. He knew who He sent by and He knew He could count on us. I often teach on a spiritual principle that God desires to bring into our lives, righteous living. What a wonderful thought a life of living in which everything we do is righteous. Well this is God’s intention for our lives, living where everything we do and say is righteous, it becomes automatic like breathing. We do not have to think to breathe it is an automatic process in our lives. Well this is what God wants for our lives, us so plugged into Him so that His love can grip our heart to such a degree all we do and say becomes righteous. All of our relationships are righteous, we have no desire to take advantage of someone, but desire to see them push forward in the God, true biblical prosperity. It is hard to believe this is what God wants for our lives, but it is true. Are we not sons and daughters of God? Was Jesus not this expression of the Father? Yes and yes, this is God’s intention for us to be able to work in our lives to such a degree where we come into a righteous relationship with Him and others. Until then I guess God is waiting on us. Written by David Stahl
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