Psalm 6:6-10 – “I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. 7 My eye wastes away because of grief; It grows old because of all my enemies.

8 Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping. 9 The LORD has heard my supplication; The LORD will receive my prayer.

10 Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.” NKJV

In a time of meditation and reflection on God’s Word, while listening to the voice of the Spirit of God within my heart, I distinctly heard the Lord weeping that day!  It was one of the most disturbing experiences of my life. 

I had heard it before, but never to the depth of the agony, I could hear from God’s tears at that moment.  I was so moved that the floodgate of tears began to well from my eyes, and my heart was shattered into a billion pieces as I listened in my spirit to the weeping of the Lord.  This went on for what seemed like hours, but in reality, it was minutes. 

I could hear the Spirit of God inside my heart asking, “Do you know why the Lord is crying?”  I was almost afraid to answer, so I sat silent momentarily and heard the same question again. I knew that I was to give a reply and would likely receive a correction or explanation that would be enlightening. 

I responded, “Is it because of the condition of our world, the church, or this nation?  Is it because of the blood of millions of murdered infants that were never allowed to become what God has destined and desired for them?  Is it because of the sinfulness of man and the slothfulness of the Body of Christ?”  

Then I heard the agony in the voice of the Spirit of God within, saying, “He’s crying for you.”  Before I dared respond, I heard within my innermost being, “He is crying for all His children.”

My first thought was, why isn’t God crying for the lost?  Why isn’t God crying for the nation?  Why isn’t God crying for the condition of man?  Then suddenly I realized that He was!  In crying for me and all His children, He was weeping for the world!  He was heartbroken over our slackness and attempts to be politically correct biblically. 

• He was weeping that we had come to a place where we were not disturbed over the things that ripped His heart out and, in many ways, had become callous to sin.

• He was weeping for the trampling of the Blood of Jesus under man’s feet. 

• He was weeping because we are not weeping, and as the above passage describes, he was groaning and making our beds swim with tears. 

Throughout the Bible, we find it repeated time and again that when God’s people become repentant, are alarmed at sin, and turn to Him with a whole heart that, He responds.  I knew in my heart that the weeping that I was hearing was because our Lord wants to move mightily in this world but because we, too often, have chosen the path of least resistance instead of intercession. He is waiting for us! 

His broken heart broke my heart, and as I write this, I weep.  I have renewed my commitment to not be so anesthetized to ungodliness.  I want sin to break my heart and propel me to the prayer closet to intercede on behalf of others.  I have renewed my commitment to pray for this nation. 

I sense that incredible persecution is coming if we do not return to the LORD!  Persecution is coming even if we do, but if we return now, we can see a harvest that will preserve multitudes for eternity.  The fields are white already to harvest, and now is the time to reap that End Time harvest.

I know today what my mother felt at times when I was rebellious and wandered in a direction that she knew was destructive.  I know what my earthly dad felt when I exhibited character traits that were foreign to all he had tried to instill in me.  I know what it is to weep for your children and want to intervene on their behalf but cannot because some decisions have to be made by the individual, and God allows us to make choices.  Choices have consequences.  My choice is to follow the Lord with a whole heart!

May God be with you as you go through your day!

Romans 12:1-2 – “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” NASB

I cannot tell you how often I’ve been asked, “How can I know God’s will for my life?”  Most of those asking are sincere and genuinely want to know the answer to the question. Still, sadly, most want a simple formula that will automatically tell them each time and in every situation what the will of God is in that particular moment.  I cannot give that!

However, I believe that Romans 12 gives us a clear picture of how to begin knowing the will of God in our lives.  Let’s consider what the apostle tells the Roman believers regarding this matter and life in general:

• Present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

Paul is identifying a problem many have in finding the will of God in any particular situation.  They have not “given” themselves “wholly” to God.  He begins with the illustration of the physical body because it is the house in which we live and is the part tempted and touched the most by sensual pleasures and appetites.  He identifies this as an act of “spiritual worship.”  He addresses the need to bring the body in subjection to the Lord and treat it as the “temple of the Lord.”

• Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

He moves to the “mind” because it is the area where our “thought life” occurs, and out of our thoughts come actions and beliefs.  We are to change our way of thinking from our “former self” to our “transformed self,” which is IN Christ, and think the thoughts of Christ or think with the Holy Spirit being the guardian of our thoughts. 

This will transfer our thoughts from “What’s in it for me?” to “Thy will be done, Oh Lord.”  It will move us from an “inward focus” on self to an “upward focus” on GOD and cause us to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness IN ALL THINGS.”

• This, he advises, will enable us to prove or “discern” – [dokimazo] what the will of God and walk in the confidence that that will is good, acceptable, and perfect.

He has led us down a path whereby, in prayer, we can set aside the things that distract and focus on the “still small voice” of the Holy Spirit when He whispers, “This is the way; walk in it.”

I cannot give you a formula for “knowing the will of God” in every situation, but I can suggest, as does the apostle Paul, a method by which you can clear the path to find the will of God more readily and clearly. 

I suggest you take Romans 12:1-3 and meditate on it, muse on it, examine it, and allow it to get deep within your spirit. I believe that you will find that it opens the door to finding the will of God in whatever you are facing, and the result will be an infusion of God’s Peace in your life as you walk out of your prayer closet into action.  You will be able to go into that action with confidence that you are walking in the will of God. 

There is no sweeter and more secure place than the confidence that you are doing what God wants when God wants it.

May you walk into your weekend in the Peace of God that passes all understanding and be richly blessed! 

Judges 3:1-4 – “Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to test Israel by them (that is, all who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan; 2 only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war, those who had not experienced it formerly). 3 These nations are: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. 4 They were for testing Israel, to find out if they would obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers through Moses.”  NASB

A few days ago, we ended our discussion with several questions regarding why God would leave enemies in the land that Israel was given as the Promised Land.  Today, I want to continue that journey.

Consider This – If God has designed our Possession of the Land to be little by little, how do you suppose the enemy infiltrates the land?  It is largely through counterfeiting, deception, and confusion.  The devil is a master at using legitimate needs in our lives to launch his attacks and carry out his schemes.  How many Legitimate Needs do you have?  Can you Name Them? 

Everyone has a need for security, provision, acceptance, and a desire to be loved.  There are legitimate and illegitimate ways to meet every need.  An especially important question is, “Do you believe that it is God’s desire to meet your legitimate needs?” 

Another question worthy of asking is, “Do you believe that He knows your legitimate needs?”  The insinuation of the devil is that He does not care or that He is an absentee landlord and does not involve Himself in our daily lives.

Let me ask, “Is there a means of knowing that God understands?”  Do you realize that for every legitimate need, God has set a guard on those needs?   Do you realize where those safeguards are found? 

Let me surprise some of you – The Ten Commandments!  Every Commandment of God is a Guard to Protect a Legitimate Need in your life.  Let me offer something for you to dig a little deeper into and study more extensively:

• Exodus 33:12-16 – The Need is identity and purpose.

• Exodus 33:16-34:1 – The need is for significance, value, and worth.  [Significance is a word of comparison by which you receive value and your sense of worth]

For every Commandment, there is a Legitimate need for which that Commandment Guards.  The Illegitimate method of meeting Legitimate needs does not meet the need but rather moves us into deception, and it is a work of the flesh and the devil.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS:

• Exodus 20:3 – NO OTHER GODS.  

This guards our need for identity, and all our self-worth is hinged here.  We are informed in Colossians 2:10 that we are “complete in Christ.” In Hebrews 6:1, we are instructed to press on to maturity.  The word maturity is the same words as complete in Colossians 2.

• Exodus 20:4 – NO IDOLS. 

This guards the legitimate need for standards.  All idolatry is a substitute.  Isaiah declared, “You have to carry your idols, but my God carries me.” 

The person following a False Standard has to do what?  Bear the burden of carrying that load and strive to achieve a position and condition that is a Gift of God.  Performance demands a Standard that we can accomplish. 

Why?  Because if we do not achieve that standard we are, in our eyes and the eyes of others, a failure and lose our identity.  What happens in this is that rather than running to God in Repentance and Receiving His Grace, we Adjust the Standard so we can make it achievable.  No other gods and no idols.

• Exodus 20:7 – DO NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD IN VAIN.  

This guards the need for authority. In the Garden of Eden, God gave man the authority to rule and reign.  That is what God made us for – Rulership.  We have an innate need for the Rulership of God to be released in and through us. 

Therefore, not taking the Name (Authority) of God in vain.  You and I, as believers, bear the Name of our Lord.  We are visible expressions of His Lordship and Authority.

• Exodus 20:8 – REMEMBER THE SABBATH.  

This guards the need for rest!  Not just physical but spiritual rest.  It speaks of Rest from performance and unrealistic expectations.  It allows us to embrace the reality that God is walking out His Life in our human bodies, hearts, and minds.

• Exodus 20:12 – HONOR FATHER & MOTHER.  

This guards the need of man to be under authority.  This provides the balance and need to release authority.

I have not attempted to detail every commandment, but the reason God left enemies in the land and why we face enemies in this life is both to train us for war and teach us dependence.

I urge you to embrace your battles.  By that, I mean rather than complain that you have difficulties and problems, look for the ways that God is making you Stronger and bringing you to a new level of Maturity.  Rejoice, as James said, when you encounter trials because of what is happening in you,  you are moving from faith to faith and victory to victory.  You are becoming that which God said you were! 

God bless you richly as you enjoy this day in Him!

Hebrews 13:15-16 – “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. 16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”  NASB

Each year on Christmas Day, it has been my heart’s desire and practice to set aside some time to reflect on God’s Gift to mankind and His goodness to my family and me during the year.  I have had numerous ask me to participate in a specific time to pause all festivities and engage in a time of Thanksgiving and Praise to the Lord on this special day.  All that is good and worthy of involvement and consideration, yet I have one more thing to suggest.

On this day, the Day after Christmas, called ‘Boxing Day’ in many parts of the world, is celebrated in various forms, including giving to the poor and needy.  I would suggest that after you have opened all your presents and enjoyed the festivities with family and friends, you take a moment to evaluate your blessings and share something with those less fortunate. 

I hope that you have already done this prior to Christmas Day. If you have not, I would encourage you to consider an endeavor that the Bible makes clear is pleasing to God and something that He routinely blesses – – Giving to the Needy. 

Maybe you received something that you do not need and rather than return or exchange it for something for yourself consider taking it or the refund for it and doing something for those who did not have the wherewithal to celebrate this day with gifts for their children or family. 

Maybe they need food, clothing, or shelter, and your contribution, regardless of how small, would make a meaningful difference in their lives today. Perhaps you do not know of anyone in that condition or situation, but I would suggest that your church does some of the local charities that are worthy and honorable, or maybe friends, family, or neighbors do.  Ask, and you might be surprised how near to your physical location the needy are.

I am not trying to shame you into doing something, but I suggest you count your blessings and consider the possibility of blessing someone who is not as fortunate or blessed as you are today.  It will prove to be an excellent catalyst into the coming year, propel you to even greater heights in your spiritual journey, and may even be a significant factor in your financial development in the coming year.

Jesus said that we would always have the poor with us, so we will not stamp out poverty and need, but we can be aware of it and minister to it when it is revealed to us and within our ability to do so. 

May God bless you and give you a joyous and happy New Year!

Judges 3:1-4 – “Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to test Israel by them (that is, all who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan; 2 only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war, those who had not experienced it formerly). 3 These nations are: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. 4 They were for testing Israel, to find out if they would obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers through Moses.”  NASB

I have often wondered about many things in Scripture, the history of mankind, the nation of Israel, and the Church.  My title question is one that I have studied at length, and I wish I could say that I have a fully exhaustive conclusion to offer.  I do not, but I do have some thoughts based on Scripture. 

The Bible tells us definitively some of the reasons, and among those was to ‘Teach them to War.’  This passage also informs us that the enemies were allowed to remain to test Israel.  One of their purposes was to test them to reveal whether they would obey the Commandments of God.  Now, I personally believe that God knew the answer but was allowing an object lesson for the people and successive generations to see both the benefits and dangers of failure to Obey! 

In 1 John 3:8, we read, “…the Son of God appeared so that He might destroy the works of the devil.”  John 16:11 informs us that when the Holy Spirit came, His ministry would bring conviction.  That conviction was three-pronged. It addressed sin, righteousness, and judgment.

It is important to note that Jesus spoke this in the ‘perfect tense’ before He went to the Cross.  Let me ask, “Is TIME a spirit world or a sense world commodity?”  Hebrews 2:14-15 informs us that Jesus rendered powerless, the one who had the power of death, the devil.  Whom did Jesus render powerless?  The devil.

In Colossians 2:8-10 we find that people are taken captive through philosophy, empty deception, the traditions of men, and the elementary principles of this world.  Wow!  The apostle Paul identified, in Ephesians 6, that the rulers and authorities are not those in the natural realm but in the spirit realm.  Jesus stripped the demonic powers and the devil of authority and power.

I suggest that you read Colossians 2:11-15 and focus on the truth that Jesus, our Lord, and Savior, disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public display of them.  That is Powerful!  In the Book of Revelation Chapter 12, we realize that believers overcome through the Blood of Jesus and the Word of their testimony.  We do that because of the work of Jesus on the Cross.  He said in John 19:30, “IT IS FINISHED!”  

Based on what I have just said and quoted, it would appear that the purpose and intent of God were to drive out All enemies and give rest from war.  However, in Exodus 23:29-31 we find that God informed them that He would not drive out the enemies in a single year because if he did, the beasts of the field would become so numerous they would overrun the land. 

God’s Promise was “little by little,” and He would drive out the enemy.  Wait?  Didn’t God say He would go before them and drive out the enemy?  Yes, He did.  There is no contradiction because God did drive out the enemies, but He did it in a way that taught them obedience and instilled confidence and faith.

In 1 Corinthians 3:9, we are told that we (believers) are God’s Field.  That is incredibly interesting and demands the question, “How do you Possess the Field or Land of God little by little, under the Plan & Power of God?”   Lack of information can lead to deception, and deception can lead to advantages being taken of us. 

Paul addressed the importance of not being ignorant of the devices and schemes of the devil in 2 Corinthians 2:11. Are you Ignorant of the Schemes of the devil in your own land, your life, your family, and your ministry?  Do you know the strategies he employs?  Do you comprehend how he is attempting to steal from and defraud you?  What is your greatest area of weakness?  How is he (the devil) keeping you weak? 

We will discuss those questions in tomorrow’s devotional, so until then, may the Lord bless you richly and keep you safe and walking in the Full Victory of God’s Abundant Living.       

2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”  NASB

I had a person tell me a few years ago that they did not let their co-workers know they were Christians because they feared discrimination in the workplace as a result.   I have known a number of people in my Christian walk who are what I call ‘Secret Christians’ because they do not want the people they work with or do business with to know about their faith. 

My problem with that is that it falls dangerously close to what Jesus said in Matthew 10:33regarding denying Him before men.  While those individuals I allude to did not actually ‘deny’ Jesus, they demonstrated a certain shame and fear of others knowing about their belief in Him. 

That puts them in the position and condition preventing them from fulfilling the Lord’s Commission to “Go into all the world…”  It frees them from the watchful eye of those observing their behavior and words, and they could easily lapse into activity or conversation that would not be becoming for a believer without those around them questioning their relationship or Christianity. 

Some have even told me that by doing this, they escaped the possibility of becoming a ‘stumbling block’ to others.  My response was, “Really?”  They do fall into the category that Jesus described in Mark 8:38, where He said that if we are ‘ashamed’ of him in this wicked generation, He will be ‘ashamed’ of us in the Day of Judgment.

If I am ashamed of Jesus and hide my faith, that causes me to wonder if I have faith!  I am not trying to be the judge of another and will leave that to God, but can anyone be comfortable being a ‘Secret Christian’?  Jesus told us not to fear those who could destroy the body and, in that, destroy our livelihood on earth but to fear Him who could destroy the soul. 

He also asked pointedly, “What would a man give in exchange for his soul? What would be the profit of gaining the whole world and losing the soul?”  Obviously, there would only be earthly and temporary gain but eternal loss.

I am not suggesting that you must be out on the streets, knocking on every door you see and giving a specific witness verbally to everyone you meet. That might not be God’s desire, but you can and should always give a ‘silent visual witness’ by your life, words, and deeds.  Then, be ready always to give answer to every man for the reason of hope that is within you. 

You do not have to and should not wear your Christianity on your sleeve and become obnoxious in trying to convert and witness to everyone.  Some are not ready, will not receive, and your actions will only push them further away, not bring them near.  Listen to the voice inside and follow your heart, but always manifest the ‘Life of Christ’ and the ‘Character of Jesus’ in your life. 

You will be surprised how many people ask about what it is that makes you different.  Some will ridicule but many will come inquiringly and hungrily wanting more than what they have and have seen in others and even churches.  You are letters known and read of men!

So, as you go through life, go with pride that you are a follower of Jesus!  Know that as you manifest Him, others will see, and some will respond favorable to His nudging and tugging of their heart strings.  

May the bountiful blessings of the LORD be with you as you go through your day!

Hebrews 11:13-16 – “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” NKJV

I do not desire to be political in this devotional. I desire to use a popular phrase in political circles, “Hope & Change” as a catalyst to a spiritual truth.  I want to talk about a Hope that will Change us spiritually and, in so doing, affect every aspect of our lives.  That is the theme of the text we used in Hebrews 11, often called the Faith Chapter of the Bible. 

In this passage and chapter we find a list of people who lived and heard the promises of God but did not see the total fulfillment of those promises during their earthly lifespan.  Yet, what they heard and saw so radically transformed their lives that they still impact us generations later.

Consider with me briefly a few pertinent points:

1. They all died holding on to their Faith. 
2. They had heard the Covenant Promises, and although they did not see them become total realities in their earthly lifespan, they could “see” them through the eyes of faith. 
3. Their faith gave them “total assurance” that they were real, and that confidence caused them to declare that they were “strangers & pilgrims” on earth.  This world was not their home, just a temporary dwelling place.
4. They were seeking a homeland that was other than the one they were living in.
5. Had they engaged in “looking back,” they would have had the opportunity to “go back.”  Back to Egypt or, in our case, back to sin.
6. Their hearts convinced them that there was a “better land” beyond the blue that they would reach at the end of their journey on earth, and they lived in “total commitment” to God focused on that country.
7. The result of that commitment and faith was that God was not ashamed to be called their God, calling them His children and prepared a city for them.

We, too, are possessors of the same promises; if we possess the same faith and commitment, we, too, are inheritors of that City!  That is why I love the old song “Looking For A City.”  I especially love the chorus: “Looking for a city, where we’ll never die.  There, the sainted millions never say goodbye.  There, we’ll meet our Savior and our loved ones, too.  Come, O Holy Spirit, all our hope renew.” 

That is precisely what Paul meant when he declared when talking about those who have passed from this life in 1 Corinthians 15:19 – “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” NKJV  We have a hope that if we really “see” it with the eyes of our spirit, it will “transform” us so that we will never be the same and will Totally and Fully commit ourselves to the Lord and seek Him “first & foremost” above all else. 

We will live in Perfect Peace, knowing that no matter what may come in this life, it is “temporary,” and we have an eternal heavenly destiny.  Just a small glimpse of the glory awaiting us should be enough to anchor us to that Blessed Hope!

It is my genuine desire and prayer that the Lord open your spiritual eyes so you can see just a little bit of what He has in store for us once our time on earth is through.  I am convinced that nothing can shake you from it and turn your heart from Him if that happens. 

That Hope will effect a Change that you will alter your forever and you forever! 

May God bless you and keep you! 

Matthew 20:1-16 – “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.  2 “When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.  3 “And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4 and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And so they went.  5 “Again, he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour and did the same thing.  6 “And about the eleventh hour, he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’  7 “They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’  9 “When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius.  10 “When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.  11 “When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’  13 “But he answered and said to one of them, ‘ Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius?  14’Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.  15 ‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’  16 “So the last shall be first, and the first last.”  NASB

This is a devotional and not meant to be a political statement.  I hope you can see the spiritual truth and life truth in this devotional.  Some time ago, I posted something regarding “Fairness,” which seems to be a buzzword in many political and even religious circles these days.  If we couple that with the ideology and objective of “Redistributing the wealth,” making the “Playing field level” and everyone “Equal,” then we can see a potential problem.  This whole postulation misses something important from a biblical perspective that touches every aspect of life.  I want to address that here briefly.

This is an illustration by the Lord regarding the “first” being last and the “last” being first and the truth that Salvation is Never Earned! It is never based on performance, work, actions, deeds, etc.  We have seen the flames of class warfare being fanned to inferno heights over the past few years, and it is dangerous.  We have noticed an entitlement mentality develop and grow, depriving society of the drive and desire to achieve and excel.  It is a prescription for mediocrity in every area of life and foreign to the Bible and its teachings.

Consider this story in a nutshell.  Some were hired during the early morning hours and agreed to work for a specific wage for the day. Then at different times during the day, others were hired with only the commitment to do what was right for them.  Some were employed the last hour of the day with no specific amount of money designated. 

The money belonged to the owner of the vineyard.  It was his option to hire the workers and his privilege to pay them whatever he deemed proper and equitable that they would agree to.  Everyone had agreed to the conditions and the pay at each stage of the process, so nobody had a legitimate complaint to lodge, although they did.  Those who worked all day were paid the same as those who worked only one hour. 

This illustration exposed envy, jealousy, and a focus on “my rights.”  It revealed the human tendency to fail to understand the value of making a commitment and that a business owner’s right to offer and pay what he desired. He offered the wages and they accepted.  Jesus’ larger message was that although someone might come to Him for salvation at the last stages of their life, they would receive Eternal Life the same as someone who had come to him in their youth. 

Did that make Him unjust and unfair?  NO!  If we know the conditions, the pay agreement, the working conditions, and the contract to do the job, what we are to be paid that is what we should expect. If the owner does something different for others, that is not our concern. 

If we do not respect that right by the owner, it will cause envy, jealousy, greed, bitterness, and division between us and those we believe to have been treated better than we.  If we translate that to Salvation, then we adopt the idea that because we came to Christ early in life, we should somehow receive more Eternal Life and more Grace than someone who came to Him in the late stages of their life rather than rejoicing that they also came to Him. 

If our boss is generous, who is to say he will not, in time, be generous toward us for our faithfulness and loyalty?  But, even if he is not, we must remember that we agreed to do a job for a wage and a time frame. Therefore, we have no legitimate complaint! He could give away every penny he has; it is not our right to complain.  That is totally between God and the owner. 

If you believe that you deserve something that someone else has, for which you have not labored, you have crossed into jealousy and envy, which is sin.  If you believe that someone who has had success through their efforts or the family into which they were born should be punished and they should be forced to share that with you, you have crossed into envy and jealousy, and that is sin. 

Truthfully, your anger is not so much at them as it is at God because you are expressing that you believe He has not treated you “fairly,” and that is a dangerous place to live.  No wonder Paul said, “I know how to abound and how to be abased and have learned to be content in whatever state I find myself.” 

He knew that God was not only His Source but would Never forsake Him!  Life is not measured by what we possess, how much money we have in the bank, or the recognition we receive publicly.  It is in our relationship with Him.  I desire to learn to live free of all envy and in complete contentment with His provision at the time of His provision, knowing that He is my Source and Will Never forsake me or fail me. 

I rejoice in what I have in Him and in every opportunity, He brings before me.  If your opportunity is seemingly more lucrative, I rejoice with you.  If it is less, I weep with you, but I trust God to guide my footsteps into the pathway that I should tread and know that at the end of the day, I will be able to Rejoice in His Goodness and Provision.

May you have a blessed weekend!