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Wed February 12 - Kingdom pearls are precious! “Do not give dogs what is sacred...” Matthew 7:6
In Colombia we have a funny phrase: “No dar papaya!” (literally, don’t give away papaya!), meaning “Don’t show off what you’ve got!” For example, if you flaunt your phone when walking down the street, then it’s likely to be stolen! The warning is to be aware of anyone trying to take advantage of you and protect what is valuable to you.
Jesus gives a similar warning. He faced the ridicule of the Pharisees, rejection in his home town, persecution by the authorities. He knew that there were many who mocked and devalued the precious gift he was offering them.
After all his previous advice on not judging, Jesus then prepares us to judge! This type of judgment, however, is about having discernment. It’s about being wary and protecting the kingdom within us. We need to have discernment about who to share our spiritual journey with.
The Kingdom of God is the most precious thing you will receive – but be very cautious about flaunting it around. Be aware of who may belittle your steps of faith. Have peace about withholding what needs to be protected in your journey. Discern who is indifferent; be cautious of anyone who wants to unpick and destroy areas that you have been growing in. This may mean you need to leave some friendships or a relationship behind, but it’s worth protecting your ‘pearls’.
Lord, show me what kingdom pearls are in me and that need protecting. Amen.
Thursday February 13 - God is so good
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?”
Matthew 7:9
It would be so mean of a parent to trick a child, giving it a stone to eat! We would be horrified if we heard of someone doing that in real life. But do we ever think that God would trick us? Think about so-called ‘sod’s law’: if something can go wrong it will. This unfortunate British cultural belief often spills over into our spirituality: we assume that if God is going to choose the stingiest pathway for us then he probably will! We mope our way through our faith journey imagining that we will probably end up with a stone, so what’s the point of asking for bread?
This tendency puts enormous limitation on God’s kindness. We recently had the opportunity to go on a wonderful retreat at Waverley Abbey. We didn’t have the finances, and the abbey was full so we would need to stay off-site. What was the point of trying to go? Then a room became available and someone covered all our costs! When we arrived we discovered that our room was stunning, newly refurbished... the best room in the abbey! God had the best set aside for us and the retreat was just what we needed!
God’s kindness and thoughtfulness in how he blesses his children is full of the tenderness of a loving father. Let’s not let our mistaken attitudes get in the way!
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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Father God, thank you for your abundant goodness and generosity. Please teach me how to ask you for what you want for me, without limitation. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY