Faces & Phases

“He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

Matthew 13:52

A Message to Baruch

“The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the instruction of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: 3 ‘You said, “Woe is me now! For the Lord has added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.” ’

4 “Thus you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, what I have built I will break down, and what I have planted I will pluck up, that is, this whole land. 5 And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh,” says the Lord. “But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.” ’ ”

Jeremiah 45:1-5

The biggest blessing someone could ever get from the Lord is not necessarily riches and recognition but the promise that He is with you wherever you go. If you are a true follower of Christ not just in word but also in deed, this is available to you. We can see this at work with Jacob and how Laban acknowledged he was blessed because God was with Jacob (Genesis 30:27). God blesses people beyond measure when we choose to live according to His will (Matthew 6:33). This is not to be misconstrued as the only incentive to obey God since if you operate in this mindset (name it and claim it), it is far from being pure (John 6:26-27) and will not be honored by God. Everything fades and can be taken away in an instant but God’s presence is enduring.

I don’t know what phase you are in your walk with Christ. Detours and setbacks are guaranteed along the way. Rest stops are necessary too. We can certainly fool ourselves and other people that we are supercharged and never have moments of weakness. Do we impress God when we do this? Of course not!

“Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”

Matthew 13:12

Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them…

Why do people borrow things from other people? Because those who borrow do not have it!

Jesus prescribed that we live and abide in His Word (John 15:4-8). Taking from Scripture is simply abiding. There is nothing wrong with borrowing spiritual insights from people. We are here to help each other. This is how we all grow and this is how God designed it. However, if all a person ever does is borrow, it is evident of one thing. There is something in the person’s life that prevents him/her from not having to borrow. They cannot produce on their own! 

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”

John 15:4

People borrow to fill something that they lack which can be a grave indicator that one is not personally hearing from the Holy Spirit. This is a serious problem but one that has an easy remedy; Abide in Him so that once again, you can hear His voice and not go merely by hearsay.

Are you a producer or are you a borrower?