Scheming or Seeking

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy, he went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. (Matthew 13:44-45)

When we compare these two verses, we notice differences. By comparing the two men and their actions, we gain a clearer understanding of this passage. If you have read or heard these passages before, you found the moral taught was likely doing what needs done to gain the treasure for yourself. The treasure is salvation and eternal life. Yet, when we dig deeper, other aspects emerge from these two parables. Each verse is not a stand-alone parable. We should study each of them and note their similarities and differences.

While walking, the man in the first parable found buried treasure. We do not know if he pursued treasure or just stumbled upon it. Moreover, this man may have deceived the landowner by concealing the treasure found on his property. He may have paid less for the land than its true value by withholding the fact of the buried treasure. Overall, the man sold what he possessed to gain the treasure for himself. Treasure was valuable to him and to the hearers of the parable.

The man in the second parable was a merchant. He pursued valuable items to buy and resell. When he came upon a very rare pearl, he opted to sell all he owned to buy the pearl. This merchant sought treasures, whereas the first man may have only stumbled upon his find. The merchant looked in each oyster shell that was for sale to find the important and rare nugget—truth. He represents those who seek God and seek to understand Him in deeper ways. The merchant needed knowledge about pearls, their characteristics, and their monetary worth. In the second parable, upon finding the most important thing, he gave up everything else to possess the precious pearl. The pearl symbolizes the gospel truth. In this parable, Jesus taught in His parable that the merchant forsook other knowledge to claim the truth. He firmly grasped what was most important, the pearl of great price—the Truth.

The first man hid the found treasure. He lied by omission to the landowner. The truth he grasped was not God’s truth, but the one he wanted, as shown by the means he took to get it. To him, the ends justified the means. Jesus never taught that. Jesus taught about righteousness, loving God and people, and telling others the Good News. Ends don’t justify means. Honor, respect, relationship, and obedience are more important. The man in the first parable prioritized ownership over godliness and truthfulness. He forsook all he had. The first parable man gained earthly treasure that would decay or rust. He chose earthly treasures, not spiritual treasures—salvation and eternal life.

The second man did not “steal” the rare pearl, but acknowledged its worth, paid the price, and gained it to make it his own. The man stole the treasure by not mentioning it. He didn’t acknowledge the land’s worth. He was more interested in being shrewd than in truth, honor, and righteousness.

Which man are you like? Are you searching for God’s truth and paying the full price for its worth by reading, studying, meditating on, and praying over Scripture daily? Or do you read a verse, then use it to justify your actions without understanding God’s purposes for what you read? For example, because God, in the Bible, allowed servants, you hire servants. Yet you mistreat them and boast about having servants. The Biblical depiction of indentured servants differs from this example. The servants in the Bible sold themselves to be servants so they could pay a debt. God mandated release from servitude after seven years if the servants were Jews. Added to this, masters were to treat servants with respect and provide for their needs. If a person today boasted of having servants, and he mistreated them, his goal would be arrogance and superiority. The purpose of indentured servanthood in the Bible and this example differed; the first helped a person, and the second showed arrogance.

Which of these men represent you today: the schemer or the seeker?

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

 

Conception: Empowering to Serve Refugees

We each have heard about or know at least one person who is a refugee. News media report of nations upset by corruption, war, greed, and natural disaster. The United Nations High Council on Refugees (UNHCR) defines a refugee as, “A person who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence. That refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. These refugees most likely cannot return home or fear to do so” [https://www.unrefugees.org/refugee-facts/what-is-a-refugee]. Another thing to understand is refugees do not come only from Middle-eastern countries. They come from the Far East, Europe, east Europe, Africa, and North and South America. People from first-world countries even seek asylum.

With the 20+ million refugees and asylum seekers on earth, how does one help? Where do they start? What should they do? With the first article in this series, we remembered everyone, not just Christians, is to help their neighbor. God made each person with the innate capacity to empathize, love, and care for others. As Christians, we know we are to love our neighbors, those who find themselves in need whether they are family, friend, or foe. This article will help each of us as we seek God’s wisdom on how to serve refugees in our communities. The best place to begin is with God.

Conception

As with the beginning of any program, task, or organization, before it can start, an idea for the program must occur. For a faith-based refugee program, the beginning is no different. A conception of the idea must come from God. If a person wants to help someone, she could buy clothes and take them to the person in need. What if the person was a different size than the clothes, or the person no longer lived in that place because he didn’t have rent money? Perhaps the person was starving, instead of shivering. When you give the person unneeded clothes, are you helping or just appeasing your conscience? For this reason, conception must come from God. Prayer, inspiration, determination, and further prayer should occur during the conception stage of ministry.

Prayer

If we truly want to follow God, we should seek His will. Just because a vacancy exists for a person to work in a ministry doesn’t mean God wants you used there. Pray and keep praying until God tells you where to work (Matthew 7:7). From personal experience, when at term’s end on the mission field, the ministry in which I worked was completed. Determined from that point not to do just anything, I waited on God. I spent November and December seeking God’s will. I returned to the field not knowing, but continued praying through January and February. Eventually, God told me to look around and asked what I saw. I saw refugees, no longer just people from another country. (Funnily, I qualified for that title). I saw people who fled for their lives, needed help, and hurt from trauma. This example of waiting for God with expectant prayer emphasizes determined and expectant praying must come before inception (Habakkuk 2:3).

Vision

When you’ve prayed and God has shown you the work He wants to do through you, you don’t jump right in and work. You begin by understanding the situation in which God wants to use you. A worker must be educated before he goes to work. He must receive the vision as God ordains it. This worker must recognize the people being touched by the ministry. He must understand what work needs to be done and how. This inspiration, this vision, comes from God.

Determination

A very important part of conception is for the worker to have the determination to follow God’s leading. Whether it costs him nothing or costs him his all, his calling by God should sustain him in the work. When the worker’s heart grows heavy from the suffering, and when the needs of the work require his money, time, and mind to be “all in” to make a difference and stay the course, he must be determined to stay where God called him, following God’s leading. Praying until God tells you in what ministry to work, no matter how long it takes, is of great importance.

Prayer

Conception is incomplete until prayer enwraps the whole program. Prayer should lead you to seek God’s will, His vision for you now, and to keep you determined-steadfast-in the task He gives you. It should be included at the end of conception, too. Without prayer enwrapping conception, the boat has wind and goal, but no rudder to direct it. If Paul had not sought God’s guidance, he might have gone to Rome too soon and the Emperor may not have heard the gospel. God must be the One who steers the ship. Having His vision and determination to do as He called you is invigorating, but do not set sail without God. He guides the direction in which you are to go and minister.

Conclusion

You may have refugee friends or know of refugees, and their plight breaks your heart. To begin work, you must seek God for His vision. This requires prayer. You must be emboldened to remain steadfast and determined in the work, not wavering when days are difficult and require more than you think you can give. This conception of God’s will for your life must be draped with prayer from start to finish. Without prayer at the end of this stage, the vision has no aim, no direction.

To begin work for the Lord in aid of refugees, God must call one to the task. With that calling comes His vision, the strength to remain steadfast, and the drive to do whatever it takes to complete the task. With the conception God gives, an inception-a start-can occur. Inception takes a person from envisioning and empowering (conception) by God through three phases of preparing and doing ministry to help refugees.

David, God's Man to Rule: 2 Samuel 8

2 Samuel 8

King David was called a man after God's heart by God. He was a regular man. He sinned against God as we all do. He sought the Lord as many of us do. He repented. He followed. He gave God the glory and praise. He waited on God. Most of the time.

In 1 Samuel 8 we read of David expanding his borders. His kingdom grew much in this chapter. Why was the favor of the Lord on him so evidently in this chapter? Here are a few possibilities:
1. He sought and followed God.
2. He dedicated the winnings to the Lord.
3. He did not totally annihilate his enemies, but left a remnant so they could see and hear about Yahweh God and choose to follow Him.
4. He had vision. He sought what God wanted to give him.
5. He was just and righteous.
6. He gave praise and glory to God.

Do you want to be considered one of the saints of the Lord like the roll call of saints in Hebrews 11? We need to each look to our hearts and lives and see if we are doing the things David did in this chapter (minus the annihilation of enemies because we have the victory now that the Messiah has come).

Are you seeking and following God? Are you looking for His vision for your life? Are you dedicating the things in your life to God for His purposes? Are you praising and giving God all the glory? Are you just and right with God and man?

We must each come to God asking these questions and seeking to be made right before Him. Then we can know we are growing and seeking to have a heart for God, too.