OCTOBER 06 Fri.

Those Trusted with Very Little

Luke 16:1~13 / "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." (10)

Hymn #218 Love Your God with Your Heart and Your True Mind (Unified Hymn 369)

Jesus told the "Parable of the Manager." There was a manager who lived in the house of a very rich man. When word came that he was wasting too much money, the rich man called the manager. Hearing that he would no longer be in charge, he was deeply troubled and called those who owed money to the rich man and forgave many of their debts. Seeing this, the rich man praised the manager for acting so shrewdly. At that time, Rome had conquered Israel and built idols; killed the Israelites spiritually; and forced them to pay taxes. Through Rome, the rich man had earned a great amount of profit. He exploited people by loaning them money. Here, the manager became the spokesman for those who were struggling because of those loans. Through this message, what should you hold onto?

1. Before Coming to an Answer within Great Hardships, First Gain Spiritual Strength
Most people get discouraged when they're unfairly punished, get ejected, or become ruined. However, before you can come to an answer, you must first gain great spiritual strength. Even though there was no one to help Joseph and David; the people of Hebrews 11; the members of the Early Church; and the church officers of Romans 16, they possessed spiritual power.

2. Gain Spiritual Wisdom That Comes from Spiritual Strength
Usually, when people encounter problems, the first thing that they think about is getting revenge and killing others. However, for those who've gained spiritual strength, spiritual wisdom or the wisdom to save others appears. The manager forgave the debts that were owed to the rich man. The rich man, who saw what the manager had done, praised his shrewdness. For the manager, it was not only the wisdom to save himself, but the wisdom to save those who were in need.

3. At This Time, God's Word Begins to Come
Although the manager seemed to have been faithful with very little, (Luke 16:10) he did the work of saving people. By looking for and helping those with troubles and scars, they'll never forget what you've done for them. (Luke 16:9)

You must know that your small devotion of holding onto the covenant will save lives. In the Bible and throughout church history, there were people who held onto the covenant and those who made small sacrifices for them. (Moses and Jethro, Rahab and the Spies, David and Priest Ahimelech, Jesus and Joseph of Arimathea, Paul and the People of Romans 16, Martin Luther and the Church Officers)

Gospel Memory Verse [1 John 5:14]
Bible Reading [Colossians 3:18~25]

[Covenantal Prayer] Dear God, please grant me spiritual strength and spiritual wisdom and make me a person who saves others. In Jesus Christ's name, I pray. Amen.