Category: Strength for Today

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
“And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.”

Throughout time, there has always been two extremes taken regarding honoring people. There is one extreme that doesn’t want to honor any person because they believe all honor goes to God. They are right to the degree that God deserves the credit for everything, but to never honor people goes against scriptural principles.

The other extreme I have seen exercised is to build up a man to the degree that people look to the man and not his God. This mentality almost deifies man when man at his best condition is a sinner. This extreme gives out honorary degrees like candy. This extreme is dangerous because this extreme takes the focus off Christ and gives it to man.

However, God says in the verses above that we are to “esteem” those who labor over us. The word “esteem” means, to respect, honor, appreciate or to give recognition. In other words, those who labor over us are to be honored, but the honor God is talking about is not how we normally honor people. God says to honor people “for their work’s sake.” There are several principles these verses teach that if followed will keep our honor from becoming idolatry.

First, we are to know people well before we honor them. Notice that God says, “…know them which labour among you…” Knowing someone is not a surface knowledge of someone, but it is more of an intimate knowledge of them. God wants you to take the time to get to know those who labor over you better. In other words, be careful about honoring someone because someone else says they are worthy of honoring. Certainly, there are times when you need to go off the word of others, and these verses show when that is to be the case, but be careful about esteeming someone just because someone else says they are worthy of your estimation.

Second, we are not to honor people simply because they hold a position worthy of honor. Just because someone inherited a position from someone whom God used greatly doesn’t mean they are worthy of the same honor. Yes, the position or office one holds may be worthy of our respect, but esteeming someone just because they hold that position or office is not how God wants us to esteem people.

Third, honor should be given because of the work one has accomplished. This is the key that keeps everything in its proper perspective. God says to esteem people in love “…for their work’s sake.” Notice that God wants the works to be esteemed. Why esteem the works? Because those works would not have been done without God’s help. This is how we keep from idolizing people. There is nothing wrong with giving people honor, but honor them for the work God did through them and not for them as an individual.

This principle should be followed in every area of life. Parents, instead of praising your children for how they look, praise them for what they have done because they can do that over again. Esteeming the works motivates people to continue those works and it will help us to keep people in their proper perspective.

1 Chronicles 24:19
“These were the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the LORD, according to their manner, under Aaron their father, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him.”

David’s kingdom as king was the most productive kingdom of all the kings of Israel. Certainly, Solomon had a great kingdom, but his kingdom was set up because of David. When studying David’s kingdom, you will discover there were three components that were weaved throughout his kingdom that helped it to become productive. I have found that those same three things will help the production of every church, ministry or business if they will be applied.

First, there were roles of authority. David completely understood the importance of authorities and defining their roles. David declared who was the authority in a certain area and he defined their roles to the authority and to those whom they led. No organization will be productive without clearly defining the authorities in every area. Somebody has to be in charge. Somebody has to be able to say that you are going to do something or not going to do something. If you have no authorities, you have chaos.

Moreover, there must be different levels of authorities. For instance, David was the king, but Joab was the general and beneath him were several captains. If you want your church or organization to grow, there must be different levels of authorities. The more you break down the authorities the more workable the organization becomes. The closer you break down the different levels of authorities so that one person is over a smaller group, the more control you will have over the whole organization. Jesus showed that the number of people you must try to work with should be no more than twelve. If you can break down the levels of authorities to groups of twelve, you will find productivity will increase.

Second, there must be organization of authorities and duties. David defined the duties of each authority. One of the greatest hindrances to organizations is that there are no clearly defined duties for each authority. Miscommunication will kill the unity and spirit of any church. You must clearly define each authority’s duties so that they will know what is expected of them. Don’t frustrate them by assuming they know what they are to do. It is the higher authorities responsibility to clearly define these duties.

Third, authorities and workers must be expected to follow and work within the organization of authorities and duties. Once David set up the levels of authorities and defined their duties, he then expected everyone to work within those roles. In other words, you cannot allow people to get out of their area for that will only lead to frustration and a bad spirit. If a person is given the authority in one area, another authority must not be allowed to make a decision in that area. You undercut the authority’s authority when you allow people from other areas to make decisions in another’s area. They can make suggestions, but they MUST NOT be allowed to make decisions out of their own area of authority.

These three components, though briefly discussed, will help every church, school or business to run smoothly and be productive. Whenever these components are violated, you will find disharmony, fighting and unproductive actions present.

1 Chronicles 17:15
“According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.”

Every generation needs a prophet of God like the Prophet Nathan. He certainly is not one of the most famous prophets in the Scriptures, but he could be one of the most respected prophets in the Scriptures. When you look at his life, there is one thing that jumps out at you that would benefit every Christian if they could apply these attributes to their lives.

The verse above is Nathan’s response to David after God told him that what he said was not right. David told Nathan that he wanted to build a temple for God, and Nathan told him, “Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee.” Nathan was simply speaking from his own heart and not from the heart of God. When God told Nathan what His will was concerning the temple, he was strong enough to admit to David that what he said was wrong. David learned to respect a man who was willing to admit his own wrong when discovered.

There are many people who are willing to tell others when they are wrong, but there are few people who will admit their own wrong. Maybe the reason David took Nathan’s bold rebukes later in life is because he saw a man who was willing to admit his own wrong. Strength is not covering your wrong, but strength is admitting it when it is brought to your attention. If you are going to tell others when they are wrong, you better be strong enough to admit when you have done wrong. Many leaders are too thin-skinned in this area. Many leaders don’t mind telling others when they have done wrong, but very few are able to take the admonition when they have done wrong.

The respect of leadership will be greatly measure by how willing you are to admit your wrong. Do you get upset when someone tells you that you have done wrong? Pastor, do you blow up when someone tells you your wrong or do you take the truth and change what you have done? Many pastors limit God’s power on their lives because they won’t allow anyone to tell them when they have done wrong. Admitting wrong doesn’t take away from your authority, but it actually gives you more authority when your followers see how you react to your own wrongs.

A parent who is willing to admit to their child when they have done wrong is the parent who will earn greater respect from their children. One of the hardest things I have had to do in my life is to swallow my pride and admit to my daughter when I have done wrong. Many would think this would lower my daughter’s respect for me as a parent, but it has actually built a greater respect. What I have found is that my daughter has more respect for me because I’m willing to admit my faults when I have failed. Don’t be the type of parent who never admits you are wrong because in doing so you are only hurting your own authority with your children.

Nathan was certainly a great prophet of the LORD, but I believe that his greatness was in the ability to admit his own shortcomings. Don’t be the type of person who wants to tell everyone else where they are wrong but won’t admit your own wrong. You are human and humans are sinners. It is no revelation to others when you admit your wrong, but it is a respect builder. If you want people to respect you, admit it when you have done wrong.

1 Chronicles 11:22
“Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts; he slew two lionlike men of Moab: also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day.”

When David goes through the mighty men in his army, he brings up the name of Benaiah. There is something that is missed about Benaiah that should be recognized by all. It says that Benaiah was “the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts.” In other words, Benaiah was no stranger to great works. He grew up seeing his dad have the courage to stand and fight. He grew up watching his dad perform valiant acts of faith. Seeing great works was something that he was used to.

What I love about Benaiah was that he didn’t settle for less. He didn’t have the mentality that he couldn’t do what his father had done. In fact, Benaiah ended up doing more valiant acts than his father had done. Did that make his father any less of a great man? Absolutely not! It showed that his father had trained him well.

We live in times when it is accepted that the present generation cannot do what their fathers have done. We hear how you can’t build churches like they used to do, and I say that is absolutely false. We hear the stories of faith from our parents, and for some reason we have settled for less acts of faith. For whatever reason, many don’t have the same drive and vision of their parents.

If we want the next generation to do more, parents must start raising expectations for their children. I have watched many parents lower the expectations for their children, and then we wonder why they don’t live the way they should. Friend, never lower the standard or expectations. What caused the previous generation to do so many mighty works was that somebody kept the standard high. The next generation needs to be challenged to do mightier acts. Don’t settle for less.

Moreover, the next generation should do mightier acts than their predecessors. The reason they should do more is because they should have learned from their predecessors how to do mighty works. For instance, I should do more than my father has done in the ministry because I grew up learning from him. He started further behind than where I started. If I don’t do more, it is a shame to me and not to him. You should take what you have learned from your predecessors and build upon their experience and faith.

Furthermore, when each generation builds upon the works of the previous generation, there is a continuation upon the journey of reaching the world for Christ. The only reason the present generation isn’t doing as much as their predecessors is because someone lowered the expectations. Don’t allow excuses to do less. Challenge people to find a way to overcome the obstacles they face.

Whenever you lower the expectations and settle for less, you are telling that generation that God’s power has been tapped out. God is still looking to do great works in this generation. I challenge you to build upon your predecessors and prove to this world that God is still in the business of doing mighty works through individuals today.

1 Chronicles 5:18
“The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skilful in war, were four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore, that went out to the war.”

Child rearing is not for the weak of heart. Sadly, there seems to be a dearth of parents who are taking the time to train their children in the needed qualities to make it through life. Every parent should not just be trying to get their children out of their house without any embarrassment, but they should be training their children with the qualities they need to make it through life.

I believe we find that the sons of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh did a great job instilling needed qualities in their children. When you look at the verse above, it is obvious that these men took seriously their responsibility to train their children. They understood that it was their responsibility to instill the qualities in their children that would help them succeed in life. There were four qualities these men instilled in their children that every child needs to learn.

First, they instilled the quality of work before play. It is interesting that they didn’t show their children how to play, but they trained them to use a sword and bow. They knew that their sons would have to battle to make it through life. Every parent needs to train their children that they cannot play through life. I’m afraid the sports mentality of our society has minimized the principle that you work before you play. The best way to train this quality to your children is to make them finish their chores before they can play.

Second, they instilled the quality of hard work. Verse 21 tells us that they took the cattle and sheep. Caring for cattle was their manner of life. Children need to be taught to work hard. You will never teach your children to work hard if you help them finish a hard task. When you give your children a task, expect them to finish it no matter how hard it is. This will teach them to work hard, and it will help them to become creative thinkers on how to accomplish the hard tasks of life.

Third, they instilled the quality of toughness. These young men were not afraid to fight battles. There was a toughness in them that we need today. Young men and ladies alike need to have a toughness in them so they don’t run when things get a little tough. Don’t let your children whine or quit when something becomes hard. Life is hard, and if your children don’t have the toughness to work through the hard times, they will never reach their potential. Don’t let your children quit when something gets hard, but make them get back to the task until they finish it.

Fourth, they instilled the quality of depending on God. When these men got in the heat of the battle, they cried to God for help. The greatest quality your children can learn is to depend on God. The best way to do that is when they come to you with something that is hard, stop and pray with them to ask God to give them help to finish the task. Praying with them when a task get hard teaches them to depend on God for help.

These are not the only qualities children need, but you must work on these qualities if you want your children to make it through life. One thing for certain, you won’t have to worry about your children mooching off you the rest of their lives if you will take the time to instill these qualities in them.

2 Kings 22:8
“And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.”

A troubling statement is found in the verse above when Shaphan the scribe said, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD.” Finding God’s Word is not what is troubling, but it being found in the house of the LORD is what is troubling. Of all places that God’s Word should have been on display, it should have been on display in the house of the LORD. Apparently, God’s Word had been buried with all the other stuff that they were removing from the temple in its repair. It is no wonder that they were in a troubling spiritual condition. If God’s Word was not at the forefront of the house of the LORD, certainly God’s commandments would not have been on their minds either.

What I also find troubling in today’s world is that God’s Word is not the centerpiece in the average Christian household. I can remember a day when in every house the Word of God was the centerpiece of the living room. There used to be a day when every home had a family Bible sitting on the coffee table in their living room. Today, you would have to search the average home to find a Bible that’s not hidden in a drawer or on some shelf. Having the Word of God on display will do several things for the Christian.

First, it tells everyone coming into the home that this is a Christian home. I love it when I go to visit a home and people either have pictures of verses hanging on the wall or Scriptures cut out in vinyl lettering on the entrance wall of the house. When God’s Word is on display, it tells everyone who enters your home that this is a Christian home and that you are not ashamed to identify with Christ.

Second, putting God’s Word on display in your home will help you to live a more moral life. There is something about putting God’s Word where everyone can see it that keeps you from doing things you should not do. You may think it won’t help, but your eyes see it subconsciously and it is a reminder that God is watching. People don’t want to do wrong in the presence of God’s Word. You will find that your home will be a better place when you put God’s Word on display.

Third, putting God’s Word on display will remind you of your need to read it daily. When God’s Word is hidden, it is easily forgotten in the busyness of your daily schedule. When you put God’s Word on display, you are reminded every morning to take time to spend with God in His Word. God’s Word being on display becomes that spiritual alarm clock that it is time to spend with God in the Scriptures.

I know to many this devotional may seem to be a little ridiculous, but there are great benefits to having God’s Word on display in your house. Your children should never be helping you clean your home and stumble across God’s Word and wonder what it is. They should see God’s Word on display in your house. They should know that your home is a Christian home, not just in word, but in the public display of God’s Word in the home. Let me encourage you to take inventory of your home and see if God’s Word is on display. If it is not, let me encourage you to make it public for all to see.

2 Kings 5:3
“And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.”

We often hear the story of this little maid, but I’m afraid we don’t learn from her example. We don’t know her name and there is a reason we don’t know it because she was a slave. Slaves were not treated with the respect of those who were known by name. Slaves were often mistreated and taken from their families, and most of the time they were just told what to do unless they had grown in favor with their master.

Yet, when this little maid heard that her master had leprosy, she knew who could help heal him. She could have treated him the same way she was treated, but she was better than that because she was a child of God. She knew that the reason he may have mistreated her was because he needed to know her God the same way she did. She knew sin is what caused him to act this way and that the man of God could help him, not only with his leprosy, but also with his sin problem. For this young maid to refer her master to Elisha for healing simply revealed her Christian character.

If you were this maid what would you have done? I would hope that I would have acted the same way she did, but I’m afraid she is a much better Christian than I. Yet, it is people like this young maid who make the difference in others. There are some things she did that will reveal your Christian character.

First, do you care for those who despitefully use you? This young maid cared for her master in spite of what he had done to her. Let me ask you, do you hurt for those who have hurt you when they are hurting? Caring for people who treat you right doesn’t reveal your Christian character, but caring for those who don’t treat you right truly reveals how much you really care.

Second, do you help those who have hurt you? She not only cared for her master, but she helped him. Would you help those who have hurt you if you had the capability to help them? This truly reveals what kind of Christian you are. A true Christian will help anyone who is hurting, even those who will hurt them again.

Third, do you forgive those who have treated you wrongly? This young maid had to have a spirit of forgiveness. The greatest test of your Christian character is if you have forgiven those who have hurt you the deepest. You can talk about how many souls we have led to Christ, but have you forgiven the one who hurt you deeply? You can talk about how many you had in attendance in your ministry, but have you forgiven those who have tried to destroy you? You can brag about which national platforms you have preached on, but have you forgiven the one who is trying to destroy your ministry? The true test of anyone’s Christian character is if they can forgive those who have or are trying to hurt them deeply.

Let me ask you, what is your Christian character like? We need more Christians like this young maid who are willing to lay aside their pettiness to help those who truly need Christ. You will discover true freedom and joy in your life when you acquire the Christian character of this little maid.

2 Kings 2:15
“And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.”

Throughout the Scriptures, anytime someone has followed afar off they have either missed out on something or they got themselves into trouble. In the verse above, we see that the sons of the prophets viewed Elijah being taken into Heaven from a distance. They could have gone with Elijah like Elisha did, but they stayed on this side of the Jordan River. They could have pressed Elijah to take them with him as well, but they didn’t want to be inconvenienced. Because they followed from afar, they missed out on a few things.

First, following from afar caused them to miss the personal touch. After crossing over the Jordan River, Elisha was able to carry on a personal conversation with Elijah. I imagine the sons of the prophets would have loved to hear those words, but they didn’t because they followed from afar. Had they followed closely, they would have learned the more personal touch that they needed to make an impact on lives. When you follow the man of God from afar, you miss that personal touch. Many men of God have been wrongly criticized by those who’ve followed from afar. You won’t see the heart of the man of God when you follow from afar. You won’t see the tears when you follow from afar. Instead of being distant from the man of God, you need to strive to get as close as you can so you learn the personal touch.

Second, following from afar caused them to miss out on the passion. The passion that Elisha got from following closely can be seen in verse 12 when he cried, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.” People who follow from afar tend to be people with no passion. They are the ones who sit on the back row. They are the ones who never see the burden of the man of God. My friend, you will never be passionate about serving the LORD when you follow from afar. It is those who follow closely who seem to be the most passionate about the things of the LORD.

Third, following from afar caused them to miss out on the presence of God. Somebody had to be driving the chariot of fire. I believe the one who drove that chariot was the presence of God. Imagine what Elisha experienced first hand because he was there when God’s presence showed up. No wonder he had a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. No wonder he had the power of God on his own life. You will never experience God’s wonderful power working in your life when you follow from afar. God’s power is always at the place where the action is happening. You can view what God is doing from afar, or you can be there personally and experience His presence first hand if you will follow closely.

Let me ask you, are you following from afar? Are you the type of Christian who doesn’t want to be the “fanatic” who follows closely? Friend, you are missing out when you follow from afar. I encourage you to jump in all the way with everything you have. Get up close by following your man of God closely and getting involved in all the activities of your church. When you follow closely is when the Christian life will make the greatest impact on you and those around you.