194. But no accounting shall be asked from them

2 Kings 22:3  In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the Lord, saying, “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money that has been brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people. And let it be given into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord, and let them give it to the workmen who are at the house of the Lord, repairing the house (that is, to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons), and let them use it for buying timber and quarried stone to repair the house. But no accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly.”

Luke 16:10-12    “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.  If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?

2 Corinthians 8:20-21     We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us,  for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man.

2 Timothy 2:2   and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.

3 John 1:5     Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are,

No receipt is needed because they deal honestly.  I wonder where that is at in the world today.  Dealing honestly.  We used all kinds of documents and contracts to hold people accountable and honest.  We check every dot and line to make sure we are covered because we don’t trust and/or we have been cheated.  Then during the project, something goes not according to plan and adjustments need to be made.  It was an oversight and both you and the contractor know this should be covered under the original scope.  However, because you were so meticulous in your contract it left no room for him to just do it.  Trying to protect yourself from fraud and cheaters is just the way of life.

Do you ever wonder if we are cheaters and frauds with God’s grace, love, and mercy?  Are we frauds and cheaters with His word?  Think about it.  God has given us great and precious promises in and through His word.  He has given us His word and promises that through His word we will find wisdom, knowledge, and understanding about Him.  He promises that we will grow in our understanding of salvation, knowledge of righteousness, and will be led into all wisdom by the Holy Spirit.  The builders, masons, and carpenters did not have to give an account of what was given to them because they used it honestly.  Can the same be said of us and the use of God’s word in our life?  If we were asked to give an account on how we read it, use it, follow it, apply it, obey it, meditate on it, desire it, seek it, search it and want it, would we be found as frauds and cheaters of what was entrusted with us?

We do well to stay in His word and let it permeate our thoughts and actions with humble service to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Far From Me

“He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.”

“And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.“

“But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls”

Psalms 45:7  you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;

Psalms 101:3  I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.  A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil.

Psalms 101:8     Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD.

Revelation 21:27    But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life

Proverbs 23:31  Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.  In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.  Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things.

Jeremiah 22:17    But you have eyes and heart only for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence.”

Hosea 7:6  For with hearts like an oven they approach their intrigue; all night their anger smolders; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.

Micah 2:2   They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.

James 1:13  Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.  But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Romans 12:9    Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

Psalms 97:10   O you who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

It is our choice what we focus our eyes and heart upon.  For sure there is plenty in this world that so easily takes our focus and attention away from humbly serving, obeying, honoring and glorifying God. Why are we so easily distracted?  What can we do to lessen or remove these distractions?  Knowing and understanding God’s word and His purpose for our lives will change our focus, wants, and desires.  Staying in his word will result in changing our heart.  Day after day we are refreshed by it.  Morning by morning it is made new and revives our soul.  The warnings are clear for those who hang on to this world and what it has to offer, and as well to those who want to stand on the fence of this world and the one to come.  These people will encounter death, destruction, and will have no part in heaven.  Their lives will forever be in hell.  Choose to keep your eyes, heart, mind, and soul focused on God, through His word each day.  Commit to humbly serving, obeying, honoring, and glorifying Him.