Love of money

P 3047 Let this sink in.

/ DVH

“Yahweh is my best Friend and my Shepherd. I always have more than enough. He offers a resting place for me in His luxurious love. His tracks take me to an oasis of peace near the quiet brook of bliss. That’s where He restores and revives my life. He opens before me the right path and leads me along in His footsteps of righteousness so that I can bring honour to His Name. 

Even when Your path takes me through the valley of deepest darkness, fear will never conquer me, for you already have! Your authority is my strength and my peace. The comfort of Your love takes away my fear. I’ll never be lonely, for You are near. You become my delicious feast even when my enemies dare to fight. 

You anoint me with the fragrance of Your Holy Spirit; You give me all I can drink of You until my cup overflows. So why would I fear the future? Only goodness and tender love pursue me all the days of my life. Then afterward, when my life is through, I’ll return to Your glorious presence to be forever with You!” Psalms 23:1-6 TPT. 

Here’s a thought — how about you sit yourself down with a big mug of tea or coffee and let this beautiful Psalm soak into the places in your heart and mind where you feel exhausted, beaten up, or maybe, not good enough! Our place of rest is always in His love. Like the needle on a compass always points to north, our hearts need to return to HE LOVES ME. Do that. Sit there, breathe, and say to yourself slowly:: ‘Jesus You love me.’ Don’t get sidetracked into what you have or have not done right recently. Start with Him loving YOU – and then, thank Him for it. 

The God of the Universe knows our names. He calls each one of us by name. I have relatives who probably can’t remember who I am – but Almighty God knows me, inside and out! Why? He chose too! If that doesn’t make you want to jump up and down — then take a breath and stop and think about it. Our God is a personal, engaged Father, Who is never too busy for His kids – He knows exactly where we are and what is happening to us.

On we go…There is no place in this Psalm that talks about Jesus bopping me on the head because I’ve been a disobedient sheep. Yes, He has a rod and a staff – but He has that to thump anything that comes at me trying to destroy me. That’s what our Saviour is like! Loving, loyal and … there for us. There are times I can almost hear the Holy Spirit cheering away when I am wrangling with some situation or other, and He’s calling out: “That’s it, you’ll get there … keep going!” That’s what ‘for me’ means to me – He is on my side, cheering me on.. 

Just recently I mentioned that my nearly 98 year old mother is dying. Hubby read this Psalm to her the other day. Why? Because everybody needs to know that God is not mad at them. They need to know that He loves them dearly – all the time, that’s why. We are aiming at passing on His love to her, while she is launching her tiny little broken ship off into the incredible deep waters of HIS ENDLESS LOVE. I want her to see that His love is so deep, so wide, and far, far greater than any other love a human being ever hoped for or imagined. 

There are people who might become afraid of the part of the Psalm that reminds us that we will walk through a dark valley. But the best place to focus our thoughts is on the fact that He is there with us. Instead of bursting your boiler fighting fear – concentrate on the truth! In order to fully understand any lie we are believing — we need to study the truth, not the lie. You might like to think on that …

Being loved so faithfully by SomeOne so amazing needs to be our specific focus. When we live this way, the whole bible truly becomes Good News, not just a book filled with instructions. People need good news! “God is not mad at humanity, SomeBody Else took the punishment for all of us” — that truth is far more than just good news. It is FANTASTIC NEWS … especially when this life keeps pushing and poking at us.

If you or I were in a car that has spun out of control, the best news we could ever have is that the person driving the car is an expert. The Person Who is helping us with this life is our Resident Expert! Don’t send Him away because you think you want to choose some dumb temporal thing that won’t matter in the light of eternity. Instead, call out for help.

Our Shepherd is with us to comfort and help us. His rod and staff whacks our enemies but those weapons comfort us. Jesus looks after His sheep. He stands between us and our enemies, joyfully, willingly – every second of every minute, of every single day of our lives.

We don’t actually belong in this world anymore, because we’ve been born into another kingdom. We belong to Him, and He will come to get each one of us when this life is over. I want to leave you with this last scripture: “Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed—be financially ethical], being content with what you have; for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” Hebrews 13:5.

Our God does not lie —the Lord Jesus IS my Shepherd, every single day. Let this sink in – as He was with Moses and Joshua and Abraham – so He is with us. Bye. 🐑 Baa!

P 3015 ‘The Lord loves a generous giver.’

/ DVH

We all know the above verse, it is one of many verses that get dragged out whenever the cost of living gets higher than the pastor’s wages! Actually, I think the real issue about money is this: people work hard for their money. Unless they are aware of their own inner attitude, they don’t see the money that they earn as coming from the Lord Himself. 

Let’s look at what Almighty God thinks about money – Jesus is speaking: “For the kingdom of heaven is LIKE a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.“About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right. So they went.“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’“‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.“ He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.

“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’“The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’”

I believe this parable shows us what God thinks about money. Money is a tool for generosity! You know, our God is so rich that the streets of heaven are paved with the purest gold, and precious jewels are the walls and gates. He asks His people to give because it is good for US, as His kids, to be generous too. PS God doesn’t need our money, but the pastor and his family just might like a new pair of shoes every 9 years or so! 

The above parable is about generosity. Jesus is explaining God’s generosity to the people around Him using a story that will challenge them. “Well, that story is unfair” – we cry – “why wouldn’t the guys who came late get paid less, or the guys who worked all day get paid more!” Because it was the OWNER’S money! Sadly most human beings still half kill themselves trying to get more and more money and aim at things that are beyond our reach. We put our sense of safety in our money, in our ability to earn. When it comes to money we all forget Who promised to take care of us. God made the Israelites rich and they were escaping slaves!

The biggest mistake Christians can make regarding their faith, concerns money. I’m sure you have loads of places etc that you love to give, but ask yourself this: who, in your own mind and heart, OWNS whatever you have? That’s the real issue. Sometimes the things we own – own us. BTW, I am not talking about selling everything, giving all our money away and sitting on a street corner – I am talking about deliberately setting ourselves free from the love of money. And that includes the idea that we need it. God will supply all our needs – so if we don’t got it we don’t need it. Tell Him what you need.

Here’s a bigger thought – make the Lord Himself your money manager! He’s been managing our money for years – we pray and ask for His help whenever we need it. So give whatever you have to Him and then deal with the fear of not having enough .😳 We know we must pay our bills so how do we give to others hilariously? “Let giving flow from your heart, not from a sense of religious duty. Let it spring up freely from the joy of giving—all because God loves hilarious generosity!” 2 Corinthians 9:7. Giving flows out of a full heart, so we need to deal with our hearts first. Instead of hoping one day that that awful fear we have in the back of our mind about not having enough, will go away!!

Some of the best givers I know live like all of their money is the Lord’s. They do not give out of excess, they simply give as the Lord tells them to give. This means they need to use their faith to live. Like I’ve said before, giving is a win-win situation! Think about that little widow lady in the temple who took her two small coins, all she had, and put them into the coffers. And Jesus commended her for it, right in front of His disciples.

What we do with our money is an issue of control, and when we follow Jesus, He is in control. If and when we want to deepen our faith, it is going to cost us. And that, in my opinion, is the reason most of the church is idling along in neutral, going nowhere much. Our God dearly loves us! It’s His nature, He can’t help it! But we can choose to go to our graves stuck in the mud and mire of a “gimme gimme gimme” world. Sadly, the line for ‘having enough’ always moves away from us. Think about it. Bye. 👋.

P 2856 Ruth.

/ DVH

Yesterday, I realised something about the book of Ruth that I had not seen before…. Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi is worth looking into. “But Ruth answered, “Don’t ask me to leave you! Let Me go with you. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be My people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and that is where I will be buried. May the Lord’s worst punishment come upon me if I let anything but death separate me from you!” Ruth 1:16-17. 

Ruth is talking to her husband’s mother, and just look at her loyalty …it prevails to the death! …She is handing over her own life for… wait for it … her mother-in-law!  Ruth and Orpah’s loyalty was a highlight of their relationship with their husbands’ mother. After all the younger two women  were from another ethnic group – the Moabites. God loves loyalty, because He is loyal! I just want to add something interesting I discovered when I went looking for pictures of loyalty – practically all the pictures I found were of people with their dogs! What does that say about humanity eh?

Back to these two young women, who had travelled with their husbands, their father-in-law and mother-in-law to another place, then … after all the men died, they followed their mother-in-law back toward her homeland. Ruth refused to leave Naomi. We need to take note of the depth of her loyalty. Almighty God is loyal to US in an even deeper way than Ruth was to Naomi!

He has always been that way, every single thing He has ever done was for mankind’s benefit. He did these things at a horrendous personal cost. Let’s face it, after all the years of disobedience and heartache from the people the Lord called His own – He could have started all over again, with a new group of people! But He didn’t. He didn’t because He promised He wouldn’t!  And we have a rainbow to remind us.

The Lord gave His Word that the Israelites would be His people and He would be their God. Then, in the fullness of time, that Word from God which had been handed down from one generation to another, gave these people access to God Himself, through Christ. God’s Living Word. Jesus Christ manifested Himself in the flesh and came and lived among them. Meanwhile, Jesus’ great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, grandmother was Ruth! 

God promises in His word to visit His favour upon His people to a thousand generations. For all you and I know – we could be the great great great great great etc.etc. grandchildren of His promise too! Some of us may be from Ruth and Boaz’s line. What do they say nowadays? 6 degrees of separation between each of us and there’s a rumour that that has shrunk to 5 degrees, because of social media. Excuse me while I roll my eyes!!

So listen to what He says to YOU personally today, displaying His loyalty: 

“Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]” Now that doesn’t sound like the Lord plans on deserting ANY of us does it?

And BTW, for those of you who have legal minds and would like to check that out in the book … that verse is in Hebrews 13:5 in the Amplified Version and it appears in another form in Deuteronomy 31:8;  and in Jeremiah 31:3. The Lord’s loyalty to us is not just solid, it is eternal. Now that’s true loyalty. Let’s be loyal to Him the way He is loyal to us!! Bye 👋.

P 2759 🎼🎶 I’m walking with Jesus …

/ DVH

…walking all the way, walking every day. I’m walking with Jesus, walking with Him alone.🎶”  No! You have not tuned into Children’s Church, kindergarten class – it’s still me, writing today’s blog. Jesus left this earth but He sent back the Person Who helped Him with this life – THE RESIDENT EXPERT. When I walk with the Holy Spirit, it is the same as walking with Jesus, just like the disciples did way back when.

Living this life dead means we will suffer. When we make the choice to follow Him, it will hurt me, because it will uncover my selfishness, my agendas, my unwillingness to live this life not being in charge of the things I do. The Holy Spirit isn’t with us just to help us do what we want to do – He was sent to us to help us do what JESUS wants us to do! He is, without a doubt, the most undervalued, underestimated Person in the whole bible. Learn to value Him! Learn how He speaks to you. I often find that I have to listen very carefully, I have to pay attention to Him.

There are times I get so tied up in my own stuff – the day to day things that cloud my hearing – that I end up centred on what this world is saying. So I repent.  Recently I asked Him about something that is going on in this world today that really scares me – He simply said: “I am not bothered about that.” Now, I have His word on that matter so whenever it comes up, I simply remind myself about what He said. If you want a scripture for that…”In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”John 16:33b. BTW I didn’t choose that verse, even though I remember it, He reminded me of it.

Editing my blog every day can be difficult sometimes, I actually have three editors. My hubby edits it, then I read it and edit it until I’m thoroughly sick of it, and then — the Lord edits it … He is incredibly specific about the way He wants me to write things but that’s not to say I think I always get it right, BTW!  Part of my daily walking with Him includes me talking to you. He wants all of us to understand that this life we are now leading we live by faith in the Son of God …“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20.

I pray all the time as I walk with Him. I’ve done this since I was born again. I just talk to Him as I go along. I wouldn’t call it “praying without ceasing” because that seems much too grand for the likes of me!  But I consult Him about absolutely everything, as I go about my day. We do stuff TOGETHER. As I live like this, I’ve learnt that He will go anywhere — HE even went to hell for me! And I’m so-oo-oo much better off when I listen to His advice. He has my back and He is brilliant at it. The Holy Spirit is so real to me, simply because I walk with Him. I’ve studied Him, loads of times. When I get out of His way – HE works everything out for everyone’s good. But He defines GOOD – we don’t!

You and I have a Helper, Who lives inside us. He walks with us, He will guide us, teach us, show us the way we should go. This means that every single day I present my body to Him as a living sacrifice. The bible says: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship…” Romans 12:1&2a. 

Did you get that? There’s a way to worship God and not have to sing!! Singing on the train or at work might be kind of misunderstood. But this kind of surrendered worship is called the true way to worship. Do you want to worship God every minute of every day? Yield. Then present your body to Him. When it’s the easy thing to do, and when it’s not. Even when someone is jumping on your last nerve. When you have forgotten Him and then you remember. When you are busy, or not, when you are sleeping… or not. He is always with you. 

The truth of His Presence with us is in Hebrews 13:5:“Let our character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with our present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! Assuredly not!]”

This verse contains three times, very clearly, God’s intention toward His kids. It also has a condition – don’t let the love of money rule your life. One of the ways I’ve found that helps me to meet that condition is to continually look at what He has given me, not at what I think I don’t have. If we want to walk with Jesus, every moment of our lives, we must devote ourselves to learning, from our own experience, what that looks like. No-one else can do that for you.

Bye. 👋