BE HONEST IN ALL YOU DO
Today’s Text: Thou shalt not steal. (Exodus 20:15)Today’s Thoughts: God has blessed us with everything we need. If there is ever anything that we don’t have but do need, God is able to provide – we just need to trust Him. If there are still things we want, but do not need, we need to learn to be content. There is never a reason to steal. Stealing is taking something that belongs to somebody else. We may think it would not affect that person at all, but God wants us to be totally honest in all we do.
Today’s Testimony: Let me start by sharing something that I found very interesting. According to Leviticus 6:1-7, the consequence for theft was that one had to restore what was taken and add another fifth to it. In Exodus 22:4 we read that the consequence for being found with the theft alive (when an animal was taken) was that one had to restore double. In Exodus 22:1 we read that if one stole an animal and killed it or sold it a sheep would have to be restored four times and an ox would have to be restored five times. Do you have any idea why the consequences were different under different circumstances? Think about it… one is probably an object, one a sheep and the other a cow. Could it be due to the mind’s corruption level? If your mind is evil enough to steal a whole cow, which you can easily get caught with, and then kill the cow that doesn’t belong to you – how corrupt is your mind? That means you had the desire to steal; that desire was strong enough to take something as huge as a cow with a high risk of getting caught; and then you still killed that cow that belonged to someone else. God doesn’t want us to sin full stop. But it must sadden Him so much to see how great our desire to sin can be sometimes. When He sees the risk we are willing to take in order to satisfy that desire to sin it must break His heart. He wants us to be blameless and honest. He doesn’t want us to deceive others and take what is theirs. He wants us to trust Him to provide all that we need and He wants us to learn to be content with what we have.
So what have you stolen lately? Have you stolen respect, affection or anything else that was due to someone else? Have you stolen any of those things from the Lord? The Lord wants to be first in your life – have you stolen His position and given it to yourself, someone else or something else? The Lord wants to be your only God – have you stolen that position and distributed it elsewhere? The Lord wants you to reverence His name – have you stolen that respect from Him? The Lord wants to spend one full day with you each week – have you stolen that day for yourself? The Lord wants you to respect His people – have you stolen that respect from others? The Lord wants you to love His people – have you stolen that love from others? The Lord wants you to keep yourself pure – have you stolen that purity? The Lord wants you to be totally honest in all you do – have you stolen that honesty? The Lord wants you to be totally honest in all you say – have you stolen that honesty? The Lord wants you to be content – have you stolen that contentment from yourself? Is there anything that you have taken away from God, yourself or others that rightfully belongs to the one you stole it from? Be honest with yourself. Be honest in all you do.
Quite a while ago (Today’s T’s Day 34) I spoke to you about returning tithe to the Lord. In Malachi 3:8 God says that if we don’t return ten-percent of what He blesses us with we are actually robbing God. That too is quite a thought. I encourage you to not steal God’s money – He only asked for one-tenth.
The greatest benefit of keeping this commandment is a clear conscience. You will also find that you are a lot happier. God knew that keeping this commandment would spare us a lot of guilt and sorrow and that’s why He gave it. Try it. Take God at His word. He blesses those who trust Him.
Today’s Task: Do not steal anything from anyone. Live an honest life in all you do. Never ever allow your mind’s corruption level to increase – ask the Lord to help you clear your mind of all evil thoughts and intensions. Keep your conscience pure. Whatever you do – do not steal your opportunity to spend eternity with the Lord from yourself. Make sure that you are living totally within the Lord’s will.
Today’s Thanks: O Lord I thank You that You care about us so much. Help us to give to You, ourselves and others whatever is due. Help us to never take away what belongs to others. Lord I thank You that You always provide for our needs. Please help us to be content with what we have. Please help us to have pure and honest minds that only do what is pure and honest. I thank You that You are merciful to us. We love You Lord. Amen.
