Giving God What's His

So the spies questioned him: "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" He saw through their duplicity and said to them, "Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?" "Caesar's," they replied. He said to them, "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

Luke 20:21-25

I've read this passage so many times and still yet it's amazing to me. "...give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's..." This is so awesome because it describes the heart and separation of the worldly and holy. It shows how God sanctified us to be His own and to live according to a new and holy standards. We aren't the lost children we once were, we now have our identity in Christ Jesus and our mission has been laid out for us. This doesn't mean everything is rigid and boring, we know enough to know that God is very dynamic, flexible and spontaneous; but it's within His plans and according to our individual design. So we must always give our innermost to the triune God and the world will fall into it's predestined place.

Do I give what's God to Him and the world what's theirs? Have I given to God my desires, motives, agenda, pains, joys, strongholds and every other thought and feeling in exchange for His desires for my life? Unfortunately not. My feelings of bitterness, anger, envy, pride... all these things God wants to exchange for love, peace, joy. Why can't I do this faithfully? It's because I don't want to give God what's His. What I do is I give these things to the world and expect the world to do something with it. Well, it does. It takes it and spits it right back out to me where there's a cycle of hate and pride. With each passing it gets worse and worse to where we hit our breaking point, or worse someone else's. I need to remember that whenever I humble myself according to the Spirit, I give God what's His: my heart.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your heart! Because of this wonderful heart countless others are saved by the blood of Jesus. Help me to change a little more each day; be transformed that much more each and every passing day. There's so much to do but You choose to do it through me so LORD, I submit my ways and give You my heart. I love You King Jesus! Amen!

Gifts are about Giving

"His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?' "Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'" 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!' "He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me."

Luke 19:22-27

God's teaching us about using our gifts. We encounter this tragedy everyday; He provides opportunities to bless someone by giving something of ourselves but we don't because we put value on hoarding the gift instead of giving it away.

In this scripture, I also took notice that the servants hated the master. Why is that? Was it because they hated the master as king or was it that they were comfortable where they were and didn't want to change?

All three started off the same, not wanting to serve the king but two were obedient and were blessed by using their gifts. One of these men didn't do anything with the gift, storing it away until the king's return. He hated the king and was afraid of him so nothing came of the gift and eventually it was taken away from him.

We are the same way, collecting what God meant to be distributed instead of using it for Kingdom purposes... I know I do. The sad thing is that sometimes I even know that I'm doing it but still refuse to obey. This past Sunday, I was walking in church and I saw a napkin rolling along the floor and without much hesitation I stopped it with my foot, picked it up and threw it away. I thought to myself, "did I just do that because others are watching?" I thought, no, I'd do the same even without others around. But just yesterday I was walking out of K-mart and a piece of rubbish was skidding across the floor but I did nothing. I walked a few more steps and was convicted, and I did nothing. I thought about turning around, even hesitating a little bit but still nothing. God convicted me at that moment saying my deed at church wasn't to please Him but rather elevate my own status through a good performance. I need to recognize that everything good and eternal flows through me and never collects within me. That prevents God's gifts from being used.

Heavenly Father, thank You for providing so many gifts even though I don't use them as desired. Some gifts I put on and keep on, to be used for myself. Other gifts I open and with my own eyes see no use for them so I throw them away. And there's other gifts that I leave unopened in its wrapping collecting dust and never used. I pray LORD that I open and learn to use every single gift to accomplish Your desires. I pray that I study it and know it so well that I can't wait to use it and share it with my family & neighbors. Help me LORD to have eyes that see and ears that hear. In the Lamb's mighty name I pray, Amen!