Author: Aaron Hufty

Re:Verse passage – Matthew 25:14–30 (day two)

Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. v. 14

Before looking at the actions of the three servants, let’s consider the gift that the master gives. What possible reason would he have for giving his wealth to people who serve him? It is a miracle of grace that he would divide his treasure to give to people who are not his family. What is even more incredible when you consider the larger context of this parable is that God, who gives us his creation to steward, knows our hearts. He knows our greed and selfishness. Why would he freely give us these things? Unlike the master in this story, God does want us to be his family. He wants us to flourish in his kingdom. This doesn’t always mean in finances, but it does mean that we share in the inheritance of God the Father. Knowing our hearts, he still gave us Jesus. Isn’t that incredible?

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 1:26–31, Romans 8:18–22 (day two)

God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. 31 a

When I was in graduate school, our conducting cohort often interacted with different disciplines within the school of music. There was a composition major who was interested in hearing his music performed. He handed the score to our professor and promptly told him “this isn’t my best work.” My professor handed it back to him and said, “when you do your best work, let me know and we will sing it.” There was a time and place for trying out new techniques and arrangements, but the top choral ensemble with limited rehearsal time, wasn’t it.

God didn’t experiment. What we see around us, from the mountains to the valleys, wasn’t a trial run at creation. It was perfect. He made everything, exactly as he desired. When he stopped, he looked and said it was very good. If creation speaks of its creator (Romans 1:20), then it needs to do it well. If God poured himself into his creation to testify to his goodness, then we ought to steward well this gift so that our children can enjoy and give glory to the maker of all things.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Corinthians 8:1–9, 2 Corinthians 9:6–11 (day two)
…that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. 8:2

We have difficulty prioritizing what is truly important in our society. Faith, for many years now, has been seen almost as a luxury or even a crutch. We often hear the argument that we will come to the church when we have more time, or when we have more need for things like faith. It is the same when it comes to our finances. We will give when we get a bit more ahead, or when the next raise comes, or when we get some debt paid off. You know as well as I do that something will always come along to fill in whatever “extra” is given. Paul is celebrating those believers who have rightly prioritized their giving as a privilege, as an opportunity, as a joy. The Lord has been faithful to you in uncountable ways. Paul’s reminder is that it is not an amount that God is looking for, it is an attitude of worship.

Re:Verse passage – 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Romans 12:4-8 (day two)

There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 

All of us have someone that we admire or desire to emulate. They may possess some quality that we would like to see developed in ourselves. We often seek out individuals to mentor us in hopes to refine skills and character traits which will benefit us in some way or another. God often puts these relationships in our lives to help nurture our growth. Ultimately, however, we must discern exactly who we are to be in and through Jesus. We have been created to fill a certain role in God’s kingdom. That should give you courage. You have a purpose. You are uniquely designed to be you. What did God place in your DNA that makes you indispensable? When you look at it in this light, it should give you purpose. God will accomplish his good work, but his plan is for you – the you that he created – to be a part of that plan.

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 5:15–17 (day two)

¹⁵ Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,¹⁶ making the most of your time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

The key phrase in this Pauline Proverb has to be “do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” When you work with people as long as I have, you quickly discover that not everyone is designed the same. We are all uniquely called and qualified to work out our salvation in the way we were created to accomplish it. This can be frustrating for some. We can fall into a trap of trying to be like Brother A or Sister B. We can listen to sermons on what your time management  “should” look like. There are tools that help people manage the chaos of life, to be sure. I have used, and subscribe to a few currently myself. However, they are ways that help me manage what the Lord has given me; but the ultimate authority on my calling is the Lord. If you want to invest in ways to budget your time, I would encourage you, first, to turn to scripture; turn to prayer. There is a wise use of your time, and trusting the Lord to help you navigate the moment by moment and the big picture puzzles is foundational to that wisdom.

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 24:1-10 (day two)

The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it. v. 1

Do you remember, as a child, visiting a fancy store, or someone’s house that had really nice things, and your parents warning you not to touch, or to take great care not to break or damage anything? There may have been a fear of having to pay if something was damaged, or that we wouldn’t be able to replace the item. Regardless, we learned to treat other people’s property with great care. This is a great reminder as we begin our stewardship study. The psalmist clearly states that everything belongs to the Lord, and therefore we must manage it with great care. The Lord has given us the responsibility to steward his creation, and we must do what we can to care for things that belong to him.