One Minute with God: The Marketplace

The sound of coins, the rumbling of transactions, and the ringing of registers may mean it’s going to be a great day for the economy. As a prosperous society, we are blessed to have the freedom to witness the work of our hands flourishing for the wellbeing of self, and others. But, what happens when the blessings of prosperity emerge into materialism? When everything and everyone seems to have a price.

Just to be clear; God can not be purchased, nor can he be bribed. He doesn’t need our tips, nor does He need our offerings. As one who has tasted poverty, and also enjoyed the springs of prosperity I have witnessed that any blessing ingested excessively could eventually corrupt the human heart and its appetite. While God desires that all of our needs be met according to His riches and glory we must be careful to not allow our hearts to deify prosperity and money.

For the love of money is the root of all evil, and as stated in the pages of Holy writ; “His house shall be called a house of prayer, and not a den of thieves”. As a child of God remember God can not be purchased because He already paid the price!

Matthew 21:12-13

12Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13“It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of thieves.’

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One Minute with God: Six Stone Jars

Each day I wake up, one of the first things I do to start my day is to prepare coffee for my wife and I. For years now, my family has received dozens of coffee cups as gifts for all sorts of festivities. A matter of fact, if you were to go into my kitchen cabinets right now you will find an array of beautifully decorated coffee cups for any occasion. But, it is not the coffee cup that necessarily stirs up our early morning, but rather the taste of that which is contained within the cup that ignites our days for the past 20 years.

The Bible teaches us that on a special day - a wedding ceremony was taking place in a particular city. The host and guests were concerned by the lack of wine not present because it could have ended all the anticipated celebration in a sobering manner. Noticing that there was an opportunity to meet the needs of others - Christ resorted to gazing his eyes on six empty stone jars. These jars were designed by its potter for a particular purpose but were found empty, neglected, and adorning space rather than being utilized. When requesting that some servants fill these stone jars with water, it was miraculously turned into wine.

Aren’t we similar to these stone jars? Hardened by trials, drained by circumstances, and sometimes lacking purpose? But, the miraculous occurs when God pours the freshwater of His Word into our empty vessels, and converts our lack into plenty, our aimlessness into purpose, and our sadness into joy (wine).

Six Stone Jars!

John 2:6-9

6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.

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One Minute with God: Lead or Follow

The most encouraging words a mentor can offer a student desiring to enhance their skills in any area of life is “come, and follow me”. You and I can not achieve our greatest potential by building on the walls of our personal paradigms. Nor can we see any solution to a problem through the lens of inexperience. But, sometimes it requires the assistance of a seasoned “player” to teach us in minutes - what it has taken them to learn in years.

Just imagine being stuck on an island unable to dream beyond the shores. Waking up every day noticing the planes flying by - without ever having the opportunity to sit on a Boeing 747 or in a Cessna single-propeller plane. There are times in our lives when we feel as though we have reached a dead end. And, if given any opportunity to journey beyond the shores we would “jump on it, on a heartbeat.”

The Bible teaches us that God is always extending an invitation to those who are willing to follow. But, it does require that we learn to surrender the keys to the driver seat of our plane, in order for us to rest on the passenger side of His cockpit.

You and I could never learn to lead - until we learn to follow.

Mark 1:16-18

16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.

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