Bring Forth the Treasures
Today's Scripture:
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him…Matthew 12:35, NIV.
Today's Word:
Recently, there was an article that told how the wealthiest places on earth are not the oil fields of the Middle East nor the diamond mines of South Africa. The wealthiest places are the cemeteries. Buried in the ground are businesses that were never formed, songs that were never sung, books that were never written, potential that was never realized, and dreams that never came to pass.
Friend, don’t let that be you! Don’t go to your grave with your treasure still in you. Keep growing. Keep learning. Step out in faith and trust God. Bring forth the good treasure that God has placed within you. If you don’t know where to start, start by meditating on His Word. Let Him speak to your heart. Learn to hear His voice. Learn to obey quickly. Trust that He is good and will lead you in the path He has prepared for you.
Prayer for Today:
Father, thank You for the good treasures You’ve deposited in me. I will be faithful to develop what You’ve entrusted to me. Help me, by Your Spirit, to stay close to You and follow Your leading every step of the way in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
***
“The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17 NIV)
The Bible says wisdom is full of mercy and good deeds: “The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17 NIV).
In other words, it’s wise to show grace to people when they mess up, when they blow it, when they sin, when they fumble, when they have faults, and when they fail.
Who is the wisest person in the universe? God. Who is the most merciful person in the universe? God. So, any time I judge, I’m being foolish. Any time I’m merciful, I’m being like God. And that’s wise! It’s wise to cut people some slack, because God cuts you slack all the time.
Everything you have in life is a gift from God — even your next breath. If you got what you deserved, you wouldn’t be alive. Yet God doesn’t give you what you deserve. He gives you what you need. That’s mercy.
Wise people give people what they need, not what they deserve. That’s mercy, and that’s wisdom. Wise people don’t emphasize other’s mistakes, because they are merciful.
Proverbs 17:9 says, “Love forgets mistakes; nagging about them parts the best of friends” (LB).
Mike has been on the Saddleback staff in facilities for many, many years. I ran into him the day he and his wife, Sally, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Sally was getting ready to drive off, so I walked over to her car to congratulate her. I asked her, “What is the secret of a 50-year marriage?” She looked at me and said, “Pastor, I never tried to change him.”
After she drove off, I walked up to Mike, who was further up the way and said, “Mike, what’s the secret to 50 years of marriage?” He said, “I never tried to change her.”
Wisdom is full of mercy.
Talk About It
- What do you need to let go of in your relationships so you can show mercy?
- Who are the people in your life that you would consider wise, according to the descriptions of wisdom here? How do those people exemplify wisdom?
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