What's That in My Hand?

      The Lord put a thought in my mind on Sunday morning at our worship service when I was praying before the offering was received. So I ended up praying it. The thought was simple, but it hit me later as being pregnant with implications for my life and my relationship with Him. The thought was simply that every penny -  every piece of money that I have ever held in my hand – came from the Lord. And not only that… but also that it belonged to the Lord. That simple thought begs the question, “What have I done with what belongs to the Lord?” If you take some time to ponder that, other thoughts come into your head, such as, “I’ve really had a lot of money “in my hand” – maybe not all at once, but gift after gift, paycheck after paycheck, year after year.”… and “I wonder how much of what I have held in my hand was used for myself, and how much was used for others?”… and “God is amazingly generous.”… and “Does God consider me to be someone who has been ‘rich toward Him’?” You may end up with other thoughts and questions if you take time to think about what has been in your hand over your lifetime. I hope you experience the joy of the Lord when you do. For me, part of the joy has been to be able to confess to the Lord my selfishness and to experience God’s forgiveness. I have many attitudes and practices to repent of, but I am thankful that joy is at the end of all true repentance in my life.

Recently I met with seven folks who want to think about membership in First Baptist Church. I have been moving away from a “classroom” setting for membership preparation to a “self-study” approach. As part of that, I have begun to assign the reading of a book by Randy Alcorn called The Treasure Principle. It’s a small book. It’s one of those…”a day to read, a lifetime to master” books. It’s not a difficult read. The treasure principle itself is simple: “You can’t take it with you  but you can send it on ahead.” But the practice of this principle is a key part of our discipleship, surrender, and growth in Christ, which will be a process in our experience until we draw our last breath. Alcorn gives six keys to unlocking this principle: 1) God owns everything. I’m His money manager. 2) My heart always goes where I put God’s money. 3) Heaven, not earth, is my home. 4) I should not live for the dot (this life alone) but for the line (eternity). 5) Giving is the only antidote to materialism. 6) God promises me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving. Alcorn unpacks these in a very helpful way for the reader.

We have made this book available to our church in the past. If you still have the copy that was given out a few years ago, I encourage you to find it and to read it again. Actually, I think an annual re-reading would be a great blessing to any of us. When I read it before giving it to these prospective members, I did so in order to prepare a short study guide. When you’re doing something like that, you tend to look a little closer and think a little deeper. In doing so, the Lord reminded me of things which I needed to hear again. If anyone would like to have a copy of the study guide, let me know and I will give/send it to you.

For some believers, the wallet is the last thing to be “baptized”. I remember reading about how in the Middle Ages some “converts” (soldiers) were baptized, but held their sword in a hand that was not immersed. It was as if they felt they could leave a part of their lives un-surrendered to the Lord. I’ve seen a couple versions of the story, so I am not sure if it purely historical. Nevertheless, the image is quite vivid, isn’t it? As Christ is being formed in us, will He allow us to hold anything back from Him? What joy and happiness is missed when we clutch our hands around what God puts in them, instead of releasing it to Him? I think the answer is… “Much, much more than we realize.”

Martin Luther once said, “I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all. But whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.” What a plan for joy Jesus has for His disciples! I pray for eyes to see it… to see it clearly and to embrace it eagerly.

Acts 20:35 (NIV) ³⁵  In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

 Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV) ¹⁹  "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

PRAYER:  O Father, thank you for each and every penny that you have placed in my hand. Please forgive me for the misuse or waste of what belongs to you. Shape my thinking and behavior more and more toward generosity. Teach me where real joy is, and lead me to it. I do not want to miss out on the joy. Thanks.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!  

Scott