Valued Relationship

Valued Relationship

Genesis 5: ²¹ Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. ²² After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. ²³ So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. ²⁴ And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

 

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Six generations lived before Enoch was born. Adam, Seth, Enosh, Cainan, Mahalalel, and Jared. Hundreds of years passed. The garden was still there in plain sight with the angel guarding the entrance. Death was the sentence for all humans because Adam disobeyed GD’s instructions by eating from HIS tree instead of the millions of trees GOD had given humans. But humans began to pray by “calling on the name of the LORD.”

 

My Observations:

• Human mistakes can be overcome by calling on the name of the LORD.
• Walking with the LORD is special to HIM.
• GOD got so excited about Enoch, that HE spared him from death.

 

Okay, I am incredibly curious about what Enoch said and did. His conversations with JESUS must have been so exciting that HE took Enoch to heaven. Enoch would no longer have to walk on the cursed earth. He lived the shortest in this lineage so far, but actually lived the longest, because he never died.

 

I believe it was JESUS who walked with Enoch for three hundred years. They probably had exciting conversations that had nothing to do with punishment, good or bad offerings or needs. It was a valued relationship between Enoch and GOD.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD mention that he took Enoch to Moses?
• Have you ever seen special treatment?
• Do you have a special relationship with GOD that excites HIM?

You Are Valued

You Are Valued

2 Corinthians 9: ¹² For this service you perform not only meets the needs of God's people, but also produces an outpouring of gratitude to God. ¹³ And because of the proof which this service of yours brings, many will give glory to God for your loyalty to the gospel of Christ, which you profess, and for your generosity in sharing with them and everyone else. ¹⁴ And so with deep affection they will pray for you because of the extraordinary grace God has shown you. ¹⁵ Let us thank God for his priceless gift!

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My wife worked all week and went over our parent’s house to help with our sick sister. My sister, brother, kids, nieces and nephew all chipped in to “meet the need.” Every prayer, action and thought is valued by GOD. My other brother and sister visited my parents every day in another state while my sister and I continued to pray vigilantly.

 

• Your service meets the needs of GOD’s people.
• Your prayers produce an outpouring of gratitude to GOD.
• Many will give glory to GOD for your loyalty to the gospel of CHRIST, which you profess.

 

Paul recognizes people are trying their best. Some are carrying heavy loads, seemingly by themselves. They are not doing the service for human accolades, rather for GOD. The wonderful thing about his message is, GOD sees the service and is pleased!

 

My Observations

• GOD is pleased with you and me for anything we do in JESUS name.
• GOD is excited when we recognize HE gave a priceless gift to us by allowing us to murder HIS one and only SON.
• GOD has forgiven us when we believe in the need for JESUS, who was raised from the dead and has the authority to forgive.

 

Trying to be “heard” by humans is tricky. I mean, hidden motives can get in the way of words spoken. BUT GOD sees our actions when we sincerely try to serve others strictly to “meet the need.”

 

HE sees the heart and is excited when we surrender it to HIM so the HOLY SPIRIT can be fed with our praise. I am grateful for my family and glad GOD sees every action they do for HIM.

 

Challenge

• Have you ever felt overwhelmed and tired?
• Do you feel like things are not going the way you planned?
• Will you look at the excitement in the writers words and know your service is seen by GOD and HE is pleased with you today?

Usefulness Adjustment

Usefulness Adjustment

1 Corinthians 14: ⁵ I would like for all of you to speak in strange tongues; but I would rather that you had the gift of proclaiming God's message. For the person who proclaims God's message is of greater value than the one who speaks in strange tongues—unless there is someone present who can explain what is said, so that the whole church may be helped. ⁶ So when I come to you, my friends, what use will I be to you if I speak in strange tongues? Not a bit, unless I bring you some revelation from God or some knowledge or some inspired message or some teaching.

 

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After being assigned to a group, I quickly felt inadequate. It seemed that each person was smarter than me and knew what they were doing. Meanwhile, I didn’t know what I was doing so I sat quietly waiting for the time to pass by. I dreaded the next time we would get together again.

 

• There have been times when I felt useless.
• There have been times when I felt I was not talented.
• There have been times when I felt like I was on the outside of usefulness.

 

Paul implores the people to focus the use of their GOD given gifts to proclaim GOD’s message. In his example, he mentions the gift of speaking in strange tongues. He compared this gift to proclaiming GOD’s message and said one had “greater” value than another. But Paul used the word “unless” to bring equilibrium to both talents.

 

My Observation

• GOD wants me to know HE gave me a gift that is special.
• GOD wants me to use my gift to “Proclaim HIS message.”
• GOD wants me to value the gifts other people have so they too can “Proclaim GOD’s message.”

 

Moving the spotlight on “me” is the problem. I mean when I can’t do something well or I feel inadequate, I want to shrink away and be silent. BUT GOD doesn’t want me to feel inadequate. HE wants me and everyone HE made to feel useful.

 

This requires me to move the spotlight on HIM. When I focus everyone’s attention on CHRIST, everything else falls in place. My gift then becomes useful.

 

Challenge

• What do you observe about the comparison of the two gifts mentioned?
• What do you notice about Paul’s preference versus the opening desire?
• How does this apply to your GOD given gift?
• Will you seek to proclaim GOD’s message more and more and know your gift is useful to HIM?

Fine Just As You Are

1 Corinthians 12: ¹⁴ For the body itself is not made up of only one part, but of many parts. ¹⁵ If the foot were to say, “Because I am not a hand, I don't belong to the body,” that would not keep it from being a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear were to say, “Because I am not an eye, I don't belong to the body,” that would not keep it from being a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were just an eye, how could it hear? And if it were only an ear, how could it smell? ¹⁸ As it is, however, God put every different part in the body just as he wanted it to be. ¹⁹ There would not be a body if it were all only one part! ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts but one body.

 

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After being talked about by many people, I wondered if I was broken beyond repair. Too skinny, too poor, too messy, too out of fashion were the many insults hurled at me. The world had placed negative labels on me that I wondered if they were true.

 

• I started to doubt my value.
• I wondered if I could amount to anything.
• I sometimes felt useless.

 

Paul explains that looking at someone else’s gifts and talents may cause a person to doubt the value of their own. He used an analogy of feet, ears and eyes to illustrate how necessary each person is to the body of CHRIST.

 

My Observations

• GOD wants me to value other people’s gifts and talents.
• GOD wants me to also value my gifts and talents.
• GOD wants me to understand that no one is inferior or superior.

 

Feeling “less than” is a serious problem. I mean, making someone feel less than their gifts and talents GOD has given them is a serious offense. But also, envying someone because of their gifts and talents can cause problems as well. What is the remedy? Be thankful.

 

When I am thankful for my gifts as well as other people’s gifts, I can broaden my world to more than me. My life becomes abundant when I praise GOD for others and for how HE made me. I am glad HE says “I saved you in the middle of your sins.” This shows me HE loves me just as I am.

 

Challenge

• What does this passage say about the “body?”
• What value do you place on your gifts and talents? How about other people’s gift?
• Will you seek to value how GOD made you and how HE made other people different for HIS purpose?

You are of Great Value

Matthew 10: ²⁶ “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. ²⁸ Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.  ³⁰ And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

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Everyone else seemed to have some special skill, while I did not seem to have anything “special.” Some were good at sports while others were great writers yet others were incredible thinkers. I went to school with the strong and mighty, brainy and rich, beautiful and liked. I did not seem to have any of the above. Where did I fit?

• There were times I did not feel I had any value.
• There were times I felt everyone else had skills and I possessed none.
• There were times I thought I could never “fit” into the crowd.

Walking through life, I felt afraid to meet people or sit at the “popular” table in fear of rejection. I mean what if they don’t like “me?” GOD says something very different.

• GOD says to me “Do not be afraid of those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul.”
• GOD says to me “Be afraid of the ONE who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
• GOD says to me “Do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

“Worth” means I have value to GOD. When everyone around me is losing their heads and blaming it on me, GOD says to me “You are valuable to ME.” HE wants me to hear what HE whispers in my ear and proclaim it from my roof that “JESUS saved me from myself and the world!”

Health is also nothing to worry my head over. HE has that too! HE knows just how to fix my body and HE can heal any ill. GOD has given me a purpose and that is far more valuable than the acceptance any crowd can ever bring.

• Do you feel afraid of the crowd?
• Are you afraid of your job, your wealth or “that” person who is bullying you?
• Can you confess your fears to GOD and ask HIM to guide you to a place of strength?
• Will you accept a life of purpose from GOD so you can drop your fears of life?