Devotions/Partners, English – Page 3

Is Your Radar Working?

February 13, 2023

Devotions/Partners

Is Your Radar Working?

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (KJV): “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

COMMENTARY: With today’s technology, the world has become addicted to weather reports. We seek out the latest news about approaching storms. We trust weather forecasters so we can plan our lives accordingly. Why, then, are we so ignorant of, naive about, and blind to the signs of the times?

APPLICATION: Think of some of the sobering signs of the times in business today: The moral stigma on bankruptcy has all but dissipated. How many people are consumed by selfishness in their relentless pursuit to climb the corporate ladder? How many people covet material wealth and keep building bigger barns for all of their worldly treasure? How many people, organizations and governments are drowning in debt?

In short, how many churchgoing businesspeople are guilty of the very signs of the times that Paul writes about? It’s time for us to soberly watch our radar screens and repent of the sins which we condone and excuse as normal business practice. It’s time for Christ followers in the workplace to stand firmly on the Word, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and say NO to the world’s ways and YES to God’s ways regardless of the consequences. The darker the business world gets, the brighter we will be, and the more attractive the Gospel will be to businesspeople who are searching for genuine answers and solutions.

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (KJV), read Integrity and Relational Ability Are Key Leadership Qualities (1 Timothy 3:1–13; Titus 1:5–9) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.

Is it Time to Innovate?

January 23, 2023

Devotions/Partners

Ezekiel 47:11-12 (KJV): “But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.”

COMMENTARY: Whether physical or spiritual, rivers of waters have always brought blessing.

APPLICATION: Is your current product line stale and stagnated? Has it become, as it were, a swamp or a marsh? Are competitors selling new products and services that are bringing new life–new trees with fresh leaves and new fruit to their businesses? If so, pray and ask the Holy Spirit (the Living Water) to reveal what new products and services He wants your business to introduce.

Sometimes economic downturns are just the right time to think out of the box and innovate. These innovations can, in turn, help you to climb out of the economic doldrums and experience renewed economic vitality.

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about Ezekiel 47:11-12 (KJV), read The Covenantal Hope (Ezekiel 35-48) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.

Is Bankruptcy a Bous Option?

January 18, 2023

Devotions/Partners

Exodus 20:15 (KJV): “Thou shalt not steal.”

COMMENTARY: For thousands of years, in the Old and New Testaments, God has wanted His people to be people of integrity. Stealing is contrary to God’s nature and character. It’s wrong. It’s evil. And it’s Satan who leads people to believe that if they steal, they’ll “get ahead.” In reality, stealing is sin. And sin always results in destructive consequences.

APPLICATION: We live in a day and age when bankruptcy liquidation filings for Christians (and Christian-owned businesses) are often no less than unbelievers. While bankruptcy was originally created to be a form of mercy in response to horrific debtors’ prisons, over the years, it has eroded into a blatant legal maneuver to escape from one’s financial obligations. Technically, it is legal. Spiritually, it is often immoral.

The arrogance of bankruptcy is that it turns the borrower-lender relationship upside-down: instead of the borrower being servant to the lender, the lender becomes servant to the borrower. It’s strange how the lender, who was a “good person” when the loan was made, becomes a “monster” when he or she tries to enforce the terms of the loan.

Over the years, I’ve met many Christian businesspeople who found themselves in deep financial trouble and considered filing for bankruptcy. Some actually had bankruptcy filing papers ready to sign. However, the Holy Spirit would not let them follow through. Instead, they trusted God and eventually repaid their debts. If you’re on the verge of filing for personal or business bankruptcy today, ask yourself this question: what would Jesus do?

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about Exodus 20:15 (KJV) , read The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.

Inspect the Fruit

Devotions/Partners

Matthew 7:16-17 (KJV): “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.”

COMMENTARY: For decades, I’ve lived in a suburban farming town near Hartford, Connecticut. Over time, from winter to fall, I’ve watched the bare farmlands sprout up with new life. I’ve watched the crops grow. I’ve watched the eventual harvest, abounding in fruits and vegetables. There are many parallels between agriculture and everyday life.

APPLICATION: Many Christians in the workplace are too naive. The Holy Spirit wants to give us supernatural discernment and wisdom, but we presume too much and get ourselves into messy situations because we don’t take the time to prayerfully and diligently inspect the fruit.

When hiring new employees, ALWAYS check references, even if they’re Christians.

When selecting new suppliers, ALWAYS check references, even if they’re Christians.

When serving new customers, ALWAYS check references and credit records, even if they’re Christians.

When considering purchasing or merging with a business, ALWAYS check references and credit records, even if they’re Christians.

As for the fruit and harvest of your life, make a commitment to the Lord in prayer to be a good tree that bears good fruit; not by “striving” to be a good Christian, but by “abiding” in the Holy Spirit. He is the vine, you are the branch. Without Him, you can do nothing.

As you give the Holy Spirit permission to fill you, His supernatural love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control will spring forth. The spiritual gifts that He has divinely chosen to give you will flow. You’ll be an abundant tree of life to those around you.

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about Matthew 7:16-17 (KJV), read Moral Guidance (Matthew 7) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.

Idol-Free is the Way to Be

Devotions/Partners

Exodus 20:3-4 (KJV): “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.”

COMMENTARY: Trust in God only. People will disappoint you. God created you, He loves you, and has a wonderful plan for your life. He is too good to do wrong, and too wise to make a mistake, even when you are surrounded by challenges and problems. Let His peace abide in you.

God created us to live in social environments, and to be “knit together in love.” We need other people. However, we’re all sinners living in a fallen world full of sinful people. We have an adversary who constantly seeks to steal, kill, and destroy.

In the final analysis, you must place your complete trust in the Living God and in Him alone. The danger in trusting other people is that they can become gods. If we’re not careful, we can start living and planning our lives based on “their” leadership, “their” opinions and “their” performance. Then, when things don’t go as planned or hoped, we’re capable of going into emotional, mental, physical or spiritual tailspins.

APPLICATION: Who among us has had a career or a business plan that panned out perfectly? Who among us has not experienced major business or career curveballs?

Be of good cheer: God sees everything and knows everything. God has a wonderful way of working things out for good–often in mysterious and unexpected ways. As the old-time hymn goes, “Trust and obey…there’s just no other way…to be happy in Jesus…than to trust and obey!”

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about Exodus 20:3-4 (KJV) , read The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.

How Well Are You Maintaining?

Devotions/Partners

Ecclesiastes 10:18 (KJV): “By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.”

COMMENTARY: Would you agree that some aspects of the workplace are more glamorous and exciting than others? This passage applies to every workplace, even if it’s a small home-based business. The reality is that there are mundane aspects of maintaining your facility that are easy to ignore or miss. There are also bigger aspects of maintaining your facility that are easy to dismiss and delay because they are a significant expense. This passage reveals that the root cause of much facility decay is sheer laziness. Companies aren’t willing to allocate the funds and aren’t motivated to maintain their facilities because it’s just too much of a hassle and expense. So, they coast.

APPLICATION: “Pay me now, or pay me later” and “mind the store” are common expressions that apply to your facility today. It’s much wiser to nip problems in the bud now, than to hold off on required maintenance until things reach crisis or emergency mode. You may not be the facilities manager where you work, but you can help by taking good care of your own workspace; reporting areas of concern to your supervisor, facilities manager or landlord; and making constructive suggestions about how your facilities can be kept in tip-top shape without breaking the budget.

This passage also applies to your personal home. Are you being a diligent steward of your home, or are you foolishly and lazily allowing it to decay? As the owner of a log home for decades, I can tell you that if I’m lazy about taking care of my logs, my home will eventually rot. Not on my watch!

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about Ecclesiastes 10:18 (KJV), read There is No Way to Know What Comes Afterwards (Eccl 9:1-11:6) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.

Honor Your Boss… to a Point!

Devotions/Partners

Exodus 20:12 (KJV): “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”

COMMENTARY: Parent-child relationships are often the most difficult relationships in life, and so are employer-employee relationships. In a sense, your employer is a type of “parent” when you’re on-the-job. While it’s not a Scriptural promise, honoring your boss is certainly conducive to long-term employment at your firm. Plus, in Ephesians 6:5-8, we are instructed to obey our masters (employers) as unto Christ.

APPLICATION: Be careful about having a bad attitude about your boss. You should respect and obey your boss, because you do not know what it’s like to be in his or her shoes. Plus, your ultimate boss is the Lord. Serve Him faithfully on the job, and He will bless you.

Earlier in my career, I was a hard worker, very reliable and giving. I made a significant contribution to the firm I worked for. However, I had a bad attitude about my boss. After I started my business and hired people, I experienced how it felt to be “the boss.” I remembered how I had treated my boss, and the Lord led me to humble myself and send him a letter apologizing for being an insensitive fool.

Perhaps you should write some letters to former bosses, too! Perhaps you need to respect and obey your boss more than you have been. But there are limits. If he or she commands you to do something illegal or immoral, contrary to Scripture and grieving to the Holy Spirit, then you must make a stand and obey God rather than man. You are an ambassador for Christ, not a prostitute!

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about Exodus 20:12 (KJV), read The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.

Hindering Wisdom: 12 Sources of Static

Devotions/Partners

Proverbs 18:1 (KJV): “Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.”

COMMENTARY: Wisdom is always crying out. It’s never a matter of “message sent,” but always a matter of “message received.” If you have the Holy Spirit inside, then you have the awesome capacity to tune into wisdom like never before.

APPLICATION: Through our carnal nature, we can actually meddle with wisdom. Here are twelve sources of static from the entire chapter of Proverbs 18 that can interfere with your receptivity to wisdom:

1) Desire of fame, fortune or fantasy.

2) Selfishness.

3) Condoning evil.

4) Trying to “win” every discussion.

5) Incessant talking.

6) Laziness.

7) Trusting in your riches.

8) Excessive self-confidence.

9) Jumping to conclusions.

10) Allowing your wounds to make you insensitive or ultrasensitive.

11) Overzealousness.

12) Building walls between you and those who have offended you.

After reading this list, is it any wonder that wisdom seems to be lacking in so many workplaces today? If you want wisdom to prevail in your workplace, it begins with you. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal and remove sources of static in your heart and mind.

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about Proverbs 18:1 (KJV), read Proverbs and Work from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.

Hiding from Your Calling?

Devotions/Partners

I Samuel 10:22 (KJV): “Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff.”

COMMENTARY: In this passage, the people were not content just to have a supernatural King. Through Samuel the prophet, God declared that he would satisfy their need for a physical, human king by raising up Saul. But Saul was hiding from God and the people, among the stuff!

APPLICATION: Is God raising you up to be a leader in your family, business, church and community, but you are afraid to answer His call? Like Saul, are you hiding among your stuff, hoping to avoid detection and attention? Are you too content with, and focused upon, your stuff that you are not willing to step out by faith and do God’s Will?

Now is a great time to finally hearken to God’s call in your life. Stop hiding in the shadows. Stop telling God and the people that you can’t and you won’t. This fallen, sinful world needs God-inspired, Holy-Spirit powered leadership in every field, every sphere of influence, every nook and cranny of human existence. Will you rise to the challenge and make a Godly difference for eternity?

Remember: God created you for a divine purpose. He has a divine call upon every Christian, including you. The sooner you know what His call is, and abide in it, the sooner you’ll discover the abundant life He has promised to every believer. There is no greater success in life than knowing and abiding in God’s call.

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about I Samuel 10:22 (KJV), read The Task of Choosing a King (1 Samuel 9-16) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.

God’s Preparation & Timing

January 10, 2023

Devotions/Partners

Image by Gerd Altmann / Pixabay . Used with Permission.

1 Samuel 17:37 (KJV): “David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.”

COMMENTARY: In business terms, “preparation” is the equivalent of education and experience. The Bible is full of men and women whom the Lord prepared for His purposes, in His way and in His time. In this passage, I picture the Lord as a Master Chef, creating a recipe (plan) for David’s life, carefully mixing personality ingredients, adding the salt of His Word, and cooking up experiences that will equip David for Godly service in the future. Unknown to David at the time, his experiences with wild beasts prepared him to face Goliath, and his diligent care over his father Jesse’s flock prepared him to serve as king of God’s people. His daily experiences also prepared him to compose and sing Psalms.

APPLICATION: As you go about your daily work, don’t be impatient when it comes to climbing the corporate ladder. God is methodically preparing you for what’s up ahead. Don’t jump the gun. If you are not achieving what you believe to be God-given goals, trust that He will bring it about in His time and in His way. You may be right with the vision, but wrong on the timing. You may need more seasoning!

There have been several specific instances of this in my career. There was a time when I was impatient about being promoted to vice president at the advertising agency where I worked. However, after

I came to Christ, He gave me the desire of my heart and I was promoted. I had turned this promotion into an idol, and until I was broken of my idolatry and made the Lord #1, He withheld the promotion I desired.

There was a time when I was impatient about starting my own business. Thank God that I have a Godly wife. She urged me to hold off until the time was right. In God’s time, He gave both of us peace about moving forward, and it came to pass. I’ve now operated the firm for decades.

Joyfully yours,

Drew

#76 – for week Dec 12, 2022

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about I Samuel 10:22 (KJV)，read The Task of Choosing a King (1 Samuel 9-16) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.

Called To Work

Category: Devotions/Partners, English

Is Your Radar Working?

For Further Exploration

Is it Time to Innovate?

For Further Exploration

Is Bankruptcy a Bous Option?

For Further Exploration

Inspect the Fruit

For Further Exploration

Idol-Free is the Way to Be

For Further Exploration

How Well Are You Maintaining?

Honor Your Boss… to a Point!

For Further Exploration

Hindering Wisdom: 12 Sources of Static

For Further Exploration

Hiding from Your Calling?

For Further Exploration

God’s Preparation & Timing

For Further Exploration

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