Pastor's thoughts Stewardship June 7,2010

                 PASTOR JACK'S THOUGHTS    JUNE 7, 2010

GOD'S REQUIREMENTS FOR MAN'S STEWARDSHIP

This is 'Stewardship Month' at VBCG and a very important month it is!  God has not left us ignorant about His requirements for our lives.  Throughout the Old Testament and in the New Testament He spoke of His requirements on how to live life, trust Him and follow Him.  When we, as Christians, hear the word 'stewardship' we think immediately of money. We turn away because we don't like for the church to talk about 'our/my money' but alas, it isn't our money. The money is a gift from God (from the very beginning!) Everything in life is a gift from God and we have the responsibility to be faithful in the way we use the time, abilities, money and everything else that God has so graciously provided for us. Without His provision, we have nothing.

This week, take a little time and think about Micah 6:8.  It says, "He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you: To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." How do we please God? It is very plain. 

1. This verse says that God is pleased when our actions in life are just! In other words, we must be honest in the ways that we interact with other people and with God.  We must be honest in the way we use our time, our money and our abilities in dealing with God.  But not only that but we must be honest in all of our actions toward other people!

2.  God requires that we love mercy.  We pay a lot of attention to people and things that we love, don't we?!  God requires that we focus our attention and be intense with our love of mercy! This means that we live our lives being kind and forgiving toward others.  We have a merciful God and we must take our example from Him.

3. The third statement is the most important: walk humbly with God!  It seems that God's Word saves the most important instruction in this verse for last.....walk humbly with God.  When you walk with someone you usually do so in unity and in peace and oneness with that person.  We don't walk with enemies....we run from them.  We don't usually walk with strangers because we don't know them. We walk with a friend or someone we love dearly. To walk with God means to be in unity with Him as a child walks with his mother or father, hand in hand or side by side, trusting and and in perfect peace and submission.

Think about this and adjust the areas of your life that you need to adjust in order to follow God's requirements.  As I said yesterday in worship, then you will enter into His joy each day!  Be obedient and follow His requirements.  You are blessed when you do.

"Help us to be faithful stewards, Lord."
Pastor Jack

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