The Growing Seed

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.
Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2ts58a

I used to love to put out a garden. When I was younger my father and grandfathers would let me help some as they would prepare the ground and lay off the rows. Before I was old enough to run the tiller I was allowed to help plant the seeds.

I have some old 8mm film of one garden we had when I was only 5 or 6 years old. The corn stood tall and the beans and other plants looked so healthy.

As a curious young boy I wondered how all of that seed stuff really worked. I can see the picture of the corn, beans or radish on the outside of the package. But the seeds rarely looked as appetizing as the picture. How does one little seed end up being such a large, productive plant?

Since that time I’ve had classes that helped me to understand the science behind seed sprouting. But I still marvel at the wisdom of God’s engineering.

These seeds can lie dormant for years and still be planted for a good crop. Some seed were even sprouted after having been found in an Egyptian burial ground.

And these seeds know what they are going to be. In Genesis 1:11-12 when God created the third day, He spoke of grass, herbs and fruit trees that would have seeds in order to reproduce themselves. This has been God’s plan all along.

Today we take for granted the marvelous properties contained in a small seed. We plant them, fertilize and water them, keep the weeds out and look forward to the harvest. But it is God’s plan within the seed that actually does the growing.

Jesus speaks of the kingdom of God being like a seed in a parable found in Mark 4:26-29.

And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

There are three different types of growth illustrated here. The first is a gradual growth. Unlike Jack and the beanstalk, seeds don’t grow to maturity overnight. Neither do new Christians. It takes time for the word of God to take root and to enable growth from a new Christian to a mature one.

The second is an orderly growth. The crop began as a seed, progressed to sprout a blade, then a head and then the full grain on the head. Most gardeners and farmers realize that the crop is vulnerable in these early stages. They prepare the soil to give the seed the best possible start. They also provide nourishment as well as weed protection to make sure that the seed is nourished without competition. They will irrigate to provide water if the rains do not come. Constant attention must be given during the growth stages to ensure that the harvest will be good.

The third is a God given growth. Speaking along these lines, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:6, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.”

We are to do our part in spreading the kingdom of God. That includes planting the seed, the word of God, in the hearts of others. Also it includes providing nourishment to those seeds. But in the end, it is the power through God that provides the increase or the harvest.

Paul in Romans 1:16-17 spoke of the word of God by saying, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.”

As much as I enjoyed the process of putting out a garden, what I really enjoyed was the harvest. Some crops were ready to gather in a short time while others took longer. Patience was required.

James 5:7-8 says, “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”

On Our Daily Walk today, may we understand that no harvest can be made until the seeds are planted, nourished and watered. May we set about today to plant the word of God in the heart of someone we know.

Our thought for the day: “The church only grows as the members grow.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

The Unprofitable Servants

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2ntdgv

Imagine if you will that one of the richest men in the world chose you to come and be his butler. He would pay off all of your debts, grant you a portion of his inheritance and allow you to live in a mansion of extreme luxury and beauty. His only condition of you is that you do whatever he asks you to do. Would you take the job?

Imagine what a life that would be! No worries about bills. Live in luxury. Plant a few flowers. Serve three meals a day to the boss. That would be a very cushy job for sure.

In that arrangement do you think it would be wise to consider yourself on the same level as your generous boss? Certainly not. Could you see yourself jeopardizing your position by refusing to do whatever the boss asked you to do? I would think not.

Sometimes people let a position go to their head. They may think more highly of themselves than they ought to think. In this process, humility and obedience are overshadowed by self-righteousness and an elevated self-worth.

Jesus tells a parable intended in part to keep the disciples in a humble mind of service. While they were granted the powers to work miracles and enjoyed the blessings of being with Jesus, the human tendency would have been to be tempted by pride or self-exaltation.

But in the service of our Lord, our labors are to be in humble service to our Lord. We should guard against the thought that our efforts somehow “earn” or “merit” our salvation.

Here is that reading from Luke 17:5-10.

And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”

I’ve seen Christians who regrettably retire from active service to the church due to health constraints. They desire to do more, but their bodies and minds will no longer allow it.

In contrast I’ve also seen Christians who have done very little in service to the Lord and then will stop and rest on their accomplishments as if to say, “I’ve done my part now. I’ve earned my place.”

Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 12 that the body of Christ is comprised of many members. Each member has a role or a job to perform and the entire body is dependent on each part working properly. But these roles are not undertaken in order to merit or earn our salvation. Rather they are undertaken as humble servants to One who is our Master. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 6:20, “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

We exchanged our old man of sin for a new man of righteousness. We were once lost in sin, but now we walk redeemed and free.

We gladly obey our Master and give attention to His will. We must never forget that we could never earn or merit what He has given to us. Whatever His will may be, we will humbly do as He says and still know that we are only doing what is our duty to do.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we never forget that we were bought with a price and that we are servants to our Master. May we gladly submit to do whatever He requests of us.

Our thought for the day: “Find out what God would have thee do, Perform that service well; For what is great and what is small, ‘Tis only He can tell.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

The Dishonest Steward

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/3ylps4

While manager of a retail store many years ago I was forced to fire an employee who was stealing from the company. She had been giving away our products to some of her friends as well as taking some of the money from the register.

Surprisingly she found other employment within a few days. Guess who hired her? It was the company where her friends worked.

It’s sad that some people don’t see the value in morality and ethics. I guess I should say “biblical” morality and “biblical” ethics. You see, regardless of a person’s relationship with God, everyone does have a set of morals and ethics. But not all are based on God’s standards.

The employee that we had to let go was unethical. She broke the rules. But she was also shrewd. In breaking the rules she was laying the groundwork for her next job.

Jesus tells a parable of a dishonest steward in Luke 16:1-13. This is a difficult parable for many since all of the characters are basically evil. The rich man, his steward and even the customers are all behaving in unethical ways. Their standards are not God’s. Here is that parable.

He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’

“Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’

“So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.’ So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.

“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?

“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Faithfulness in a steward is demanded. This steward saw his career in jeopardy because of his unfaithfulness. Who would trust a dishonest steward? Only those who benefit from a dishonest steward.

Jesus wants us to be good stewards of His will. He wants our loyalty to be only on Him and not on the world. We cannot serve both sides. We must choose one or the other.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:1-2, “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”

In the parable of the talents Jesus tells us that two men were faithful as stewards. They proved their faithfulness by doubling their amounts of five and two talents. They were then granted rule over even greater things. But the one talent man was not faithful and even lost what he had.

If a person is faithful in the small things he will also be faithful in the larger things. The same is true of unfaithfulness.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we resolve that we will always be faithful to God in small things as well as in large things.

Our thought for the day: “In stewardship no man can perform the duty of another. No proxy is allowed or possible. Stewardship involves personal responsibility.” C. A Cook

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

The Rich Man And Lazarus

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/yo9ue4

Many people have questions about what happens to us after we die. This is natural and God gives us glimpses into the next life all throughout the Bible.

In Luke 16:19-31 Jesus tells a story about two men who live and die and are conscious after death. They find themselves in the Hadean realm, a place of departed souls. One side is Paradise, or Abraham’s bosom. This is where Jesus and the thief went upon their deaths. In Luke 23:43, Jesus said, “…today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

The other side is a place of torment. Both sides are divided by a great gulf and once a soul arrives it is incapable of moving from one side to the other.

Some dispute whether or not this is a parable since one of the characters is actually named. But either way, the lessons Jesus imparts are still valid for us to consider today.

“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

“Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”

There are four things that we can learn about our situation after death. First of all, we will be conscious. We will know things that are going on and will be able to see if we are in Paradise or in torment.

Second, we will also have our identity. We will be able to recognize others as well as be recognized. No one can know how this really works, but who we are today as a person will translate also into the next life.

Third, we will have a memory. The rich man remembered that he had five brothers who were still living on earth and who were apparently following his path to torment.

Fourth, we will have awareness of our choices in life that lead to our destiny in eternity. The things that we do in this life will dictate where we will spend eternity. If we are found righteous here, we will enjoy a reward there. If unrighteous then we will suffer.

Other lessons can also be taken from this reading. For example, our place in the next life is set upon our death. There is a great gulf between the good side and the bad side of the Hadean realm. If we intend to repent, obey and serve God and Jesus then we need to do that in this life.

The rich man wanted Abraham to send back someone from the dead to warn his brothers. But that was not going to happen. They had the word of God already through Moses and the prophets. But the rich man realized that they would probably not pay attention to them.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we draw near to God through His word and may we live each day in anticipation of our eternal reward.

Our thought for the day: “Many buy cemetery lots in advance, but do nothing about preparing for a home in heaven.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

The Talents

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2wlyj7

Have you ever been around someone who refused to pull his own weight? You know the kind. He’s capable of doing a good job, but for whatever reason simply refuses to measure up to what he can do.

Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 25:14-30. This is the parable of the talents. A talent was a large sum of money and in this parable three servants are entrusted to invest this money for their lord. As you contemplate the reading of this parable, remember that God does not expect of us what we are incapable of doing.

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

“So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

“Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

“But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

All three men were capable of doing what their lord requested. Two were successful, but one failed miserably. Why did this one man fail?

Some have suggested that he had no faith in himself. This is evident. But his lord had faith in him and that should have been a proper motivation for what this man could accomplish.

Also, this man perhaps compared himself with the others. He wasn’t as gifted as the other two men who were given greater responsibility. We also need to be careful that we do not compare ourselves with others and overlook what our Lord expects of us.

This man was also lazy. His master called him “wicked and lazy.” He simply didn’t try. To try and fail is common to all men. We learn from mistakes and start over more intelligently. But to fail without trying is inexcusable.

Lastly, this man feared his master. When we compare this scenario to our relationship with God, we should always be mindful of the judgment of God. But we should have no reason to fear Him in such a way.

After all, He gave His Son to die for us and still patiently waits for us to repent and be found righteous in Him. God has more faith in us than we have in ourselves. Instead of fearing God we should be emboldened by His favor upon us.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we never stop where God says go. May we never sit down when God says rise up. May we always be found faithful by our Lord.

Our thought for the day: “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” Plato

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

The Ten Virgins

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.
Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/yphxh6

The Boy Scouts have a motto that should apply to everyone. “Be prepared.” In most cases people are prepared for things that happen.

For example, a mother of a young infant doesn’t go anywhere without her diaper bag. She is prepared to change a diaper, change clothes or to give a bottle to the baby. To leave home with an infant and not be prepared for these things would be foolish. You know the baby will need them.

On the other hand, some people surprisingly are not prepared for things that they know will happen. Such is the case many times with a person’s spiritual condition. They know that God exists and that Jesus died for them. But they are not willing to be prepared to meet their God on judgment.

Jesus tells a parable about proper preparation in Matthew 25:1-13. This is the parable of the virgins.

Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

There are three main lessons that we can learn from this parable.

The first is to be prepared. As Christians we need to always be prepared for the return of Jesus. How can we do this? Simply by doing His will and being faithful to Him.

Some have difficulty in keeping the commitments they make to God and Jesus. Perhaps their loyalty isn’t as strong on Monday as it is on Sunday. Some really do not live so as to be prepared to see Christ return at any time. But by doing what God says all the time, we can find ourselves ready at any moment for Christ’s return.

The second lesson is to purchase what cannot be borrowed. Most of us have hand-me-downs from our parents. Maybe it is a chair, some china or even a car. We may have even inherited these from our parents. But we cannot borrow or inherit faith.

Just because your mother was a faithful Christian and attended worship often doesn’t mean that you are faithful. You can learn from her example, but you must be responsible for your own faith and action. This parable demonstrated individual responsibility. Each is responsible for his/her own.

The third lesson is don’t procrastinate. We must be willing to seize the opportunity to accept God’s offer and then be faithful to Him. Far too many people will put off this decision until they are no longer able to make it. This is sad—especially when they know the right thing to do, but are just unwilling to do it.

As someone once wrote, “Live so the preacher doesn’t have to lie at your funeral.” Better than that, live each day so that you are prepared to welcome Christ when He comes to take us all to judgment.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we contemplate what we would do if we knew that the world would end in the next hour. May we think of the priorities we would place on our relationship with God and may we act today to make sure that we are found righteous by Him.

Our thought for the day: “One who is not prepared today will be less so tomorrow.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.