Pass on the Grace, not the Profit

Matthew 17:27


"However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and Me."

Jesus did not have to pay the tax, but he was also sensitive to the
people in the marketplace who were engulfed in their own businesses' profitability.
He highlighted the importance of our diligence at our own workplaces and
as we are diligent, God will reveal His grace to us -- in this case, in a
form of material gain -- and we are to pass on such graceful gain to
the people in the marketplace in a form of blessings from God.

we can easily get pulled in to the environment of gauging profits and losses which
contains zero level of grace. we are to rise above and experience the
grace God provides and then in turn pass it on to many around us who
are "crispy" dry from such warmth of His presence.

Battle Instructions

2 Samuel 5:25


Then David did so, just as the LORD had commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.

even though David was an expert in battles, he again went to seek God's instructions
to fight against the Philistines. i can see that his perspective on this battle
against the Philistines was God's battle and not his own. that's why he went back
to God for instructions regardless of his previous defeat.

i know i'm facing many spiritual battles against the enemy, but i lack the
heart of fighting those battles for God and thus feeling the need of inquiring
of His instructions before every occasion. i am quick to apply what seemed
to have worked for me last time, and
think i can just apply it again. this does not lead to a totally victorious life.

dear God, i want to seek Your battle instructions every morning; and do just
as the LORD had commanded.

Gathering of Hearts into Joy

1 Chronicles 12:22, 40b

For day by day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army
like the army of God.


... There was joy indeed in Israel

people gathered to help David establish his kingdom day by day until it
became a great army. gathering of people and their hearts takes time and
requires daily continuous efforts. there is no quick slam-dunk solution
here.

and gathering the like-minded people of God for a shared purpose produces
JOY which is evident across the community.

Point of Desperation

Matthew 14:36


and they implored Him that they might just
touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it
were cured.

the main question came to mind was: is my faith at a point
of desperation as this crowd of sick people were in? they just
wanted to touch the fringe of cloak because they were at a
point of desperation and believed that it was sufficient to
heal them. and their faith came true.

w/out being at a point of desperation, the purity of my
faith is at stake.

DNA Comes in All Sizes

Matthew 13:32


and this is smaller than all other seeds,
but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden
plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR
come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES."

the mustard seed is quite small but has the complete DNA to
fully grow to become a resting place for other. so when we
look at the tiny seed, we can easily discount its full
potential. we're like these mustard seeds where we may be
tiny in appearance or achievements but in us is the complete
DNA to be fully grown to become a nurturing agent of God's
strength for other people. do not let the enemy fool me
into discouragement.

follow on to this, in John 12:24 God tells us that the full
potential of his DNA will only be revealed after it has
first died: unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth
and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much
fruit.

Black and White Faith

Matthew 12:30


He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

Jesus makes it clear that there is no status quo in Spiritual life.
either i am with Jesus or i will automatically be against Him. either
i gather His lost people with Him, or i will be like scattering them against
His desires.

There is no inbetween.