For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish. – Psalm 1:6
The people of Israel were in a downward spiral due to the sin in their lives. Their hearts had become hardened and their sins no longer grieved them. There was no repentance, nor any regard for how deep their sin was taking them. Again and again, Israel chose the false god of Baal over their One True God- Jevohah…the One who loved them and who had blessed them for generations. But in their rebellious idolatry of Baal, God’s blessings would cease. His blessings stopped when they chose to look to Baal instead of God for protection, fulfillment in life and answers to their prayers. Idolatry made them make metal images of idols instead of living their lives out in faith and trusting God. They foolishly made their idols out of silver and, what drew my attention in these verses is that they were intentionally made by skilled craftsmen. I can´t help but mourn how the Israelites wasted their skills on meaningless idols instead of investing their time, talents and expertise into something that really matters. Instead of using what God had given them to do great things for His glory, they used their skills to make idols. Instead of investing their lives in eternity, they foolishly invested in the temporal.
How are you using the skills and talents God has given you? Are you using them for the glory of God? Or are you using them to your own profit? Psalm 1 reminds us that the Lord knows the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. He knows the motivation in our hearts better than we do.
Dear God, I want to serve You with all the gifts and talents You have given me. I want to use everything I am and everything I have for Your glory and to extend Your Kingdom. Amen.
Week 6 Challenge: Gather with a group of friends this week for coffee (or tea, or cupcakes) and have an honest talk about what you think your gifts and talents are – and how you would use them for God if nothing stood in your way. Encourage one another to find one small way to take action and honor God with their gifts in the coming month. Then plan a date to get back together to check in.
Reading Plan
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