Do you believe that God has special appointments for us? What I mean by that is that He has special things for us to carry out and complete.
Faith teaches us that God has ordered all things according to His own purposes. Our role, as mankind, is to accept what He has purposed as God’s appointments.
A life not centered on God is purposeless and meaningless without Him. All of life and His other good gifts are to be gratefully received and used and enjoyed to the fullest.
Our reading today took us to the book of Ecclesiastes. I always had a hard time reading this book, since it seemed negative to me. The very second verse says, “Meaningless, everything is meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 1: 2) It’s hard to be around folks who constantly spew negativity. But if life has dealt you a series of bad situations, sometimes people do feel like that.
“What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.” (Matthew 15: 18)
I guess we must be careful what we chew or stew over. An interesting fact I learned when I looked up the word “stew.” It said, “To brood angrily over.”
A good cook knows that when you cook stew, it is slowly stirred before it’s ready to digest. Choose to not stew over things, or you may stir up a pot of something that you may have to eat that won’t be too tasty.
Jesus said, “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” (Matthew 15: 11)
- We must choose our words wisely.
- We don’t need to release everything immediately.
- If our heart is still stewing, it’s best to wait to speak.
- Hurting people hurt others. Don’t let yourself fall under that category.
If our light is shining brightly for Jesus, that light is to stay lit for Him. Keep your light on! “The lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the Lord must be tended continually.” (Leviticus 24: 4) Not only were they to be tended to, they had to be “Kept burning continually.” (Leviticus 24: 2)
Tending our light makes them shine brightly. The Lord doesn’t want it snuffed out.
Not only were the lights to be tended to in the tabernacle, but the “Bread is to be set out before the Lord regularly.” (Leviticus 24: 8)
Oil and bread were set before Him, always. The life of Jesus (Bread of Life) in us, is displayed as His Holy Spirit (Oil) is poured out through us. His life cannot be displayed without the oil of the Holy Spirit. They are as one.
He has appointments for us to fulfill! We have to see where we are going, and what He has assigned. The lampstand cannot burn without the oil to fuel it. Complete your appointments (assignments) by being fueled by the fire of the Holy Spirit.
In doing this, our life will never be meaningless. It will be meaningful, very fueled, and full!
(Ecclesiastes 1: 1-11, Matthew 15: 1-20, Leviticus 24-25, Modified)
UNBROKEN LOVE SERIES
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