Galatians 4:12-6:18; Ephesians 1:1-14

My favourite chapter in the Bible is Ecclesiastes 3. In particular, a time to sow and a time to reap. What joy to read that here.

Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. – Galatians 6:7-8 MSG

When I think about my life at work, in the church or at home, it is up to me to create a culture of honour. I can determine that and the joy of having followers subscribe to it is real. It starts with me making the decision, the choice, of treating those I am with with dignity and honour. With that comes a flow of peace and revelation from God.

Each time a follower of Jesus makes the decision to honour their leaders, they prevent the name of God from being blasphemed. When leaders honour, they create room for God’s will. In the absence of honour, there is strife and should I dare say, evil. That is why I choose honour.

When it comes to honour, I think most do not know there is a reward for honouring. Sometimes when the other person is not a follower of Jesus we think we have the freedom of not honouring them. The journey towards dishonouring them has begun under the guise of spirituality. I am encouraged to honour all leaders and in doing so, God will use my attitude of honour to reward me. I have also found that when those in leadership choose to touch His anointed, they will pay the cost for doing so.

Pride is usually the cause of dishonour as some see their giftedness as superior to the culture of honour.

I know my wife thinks I am wasting my time honouring those who do not seem to be worthy of it. There is nothing vain about sowing to the Spirit and studying to live for God, seeking to obey His will. I choose not to sow to my flesh – why would I want to harvest that? I live to seek to honour God and walking with the Spirit.

Father, thank you for reminding me again the power of the principle of sowing and reaping. May I sow in my choices to live for You and to enjoy my alone time with You. I look forward to reaping You as I spend eternity with You.

Erwin (evanlaar1922)

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Deuteronomy 1-3; Psalm 36; Luke 5

Lord, Your faithful love reaches to heaven,
Your faithfulness to the clouds. God, Your faithful love is so valuable that people take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. Spread Your faithful love over those who know You, and Your righteousness over the upright in heart. – Psalm 36:5,7,10 HCSB

God’s “faithful love” is such an important attribute of God. It is God’s covenant love. I see Him faithful and loyal just as a man loves his wife and is faithful to her. I believe there are no limits to God’s love. I remember talking to my children about how much I love them, in particular, my daughter and I went to great lengths to describe who loved each other more. I tried to make sure I made the statement – I love you to the moon and back.

There are so many stories in the Bible revealing just how much God loves me – He is present and in control. The resurrection was such a great revelation of His amazing love. The Gospel is such a real picture of God’s love for me – it exists because of the goodness of God.

“All his goodness is forbearance, and his love is mercy, because of the weakness, the lowliness, and the ill desert of us on whom the love falls. … The first and last, the Alpha and Omega of God, beginning and crowning and summing up all his being and his work, is his mercy, his lovingkindness.” – Alexander Maclaren

I can read, see and feel God’s love – that He is coordinating and providentially controlling events for my benefit.

Yet He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed. – Luke 5:16 HCSB

If I ever forget that love, I see it here when Jesus prays. It is here, in prayer, that Jesus finds Himself connected in a love relationship with His Father and it is the place where I enjoy being as well.

Father, I see Your love every day as I spend time with You each morning. The Holy Spirit allows me to read what Your love looks like as I engage with Your words in the Bible. As I put into practice those things that You are calling me to do each day, I actually can feel Your love coming out of me and going into those that are looking for Your love or have forgotten just how much You love them. When I call on You, in the name of Jesus, I know that You show up and are part of all my conversations and actions and You allow me to glorify You in all that I say and do. Thank You – it is something I look forward to each and every day.

Erwin (evanlaar1922)