PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 21:33-41
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“What will he do to those tenants?” (Matthew 21:40)
Are you a good tenant or a bad tenant?
I’m not talking about the house you live in, but the life you’re living.
Everything in our life is assigned to us from God.
Your life is God’s gift to you; what you do with it is your gift to God.
But what if we abuse our life, and the world around us?
If we waste the money, gifts, time or other resources He assigned to us.
If we hurt or take advantage of the people that God has put in our lives?
If we neglect or abuse our bodies, or the environment where we live?
If creation is God’s house, what kind of tenants have we been?
God has sent many reminders and warnings, trying to challenge us to change.
And Jesus has shown us what a good tenant is like, how God wants us to live.
Yet humanity rejects Jesus, mocks Jesus, ignores Jesus… kills Jesus.
God’s goal is to restore His ‘house’ and ‘family’, and that may mean eviction for some.
Personally I need to look at my own life: am I a good tenant or a bad tenant?
PRAYER
Lord, I cannot change other people, but I am responsible for myself. Help me to be a better tenant this coming year, to find ways improve how I am living for You and others in the world.
I am a steward – a tenant. God has entrusted me with all my abilities, learning, resources and a piece of his garden to be responsible. I am answerable for my stewardship – in fact God wants to entrust me with more if I would only use it all for His purposes. He even sent his HS to help me in my stewardship. Yet so often I am tempted to keep it for myself. I forget what God’s intent is! Help me to be like you Jesus to want to walk with you and do for you- for the sake of sharing the good news!.
I am a tenant as shown in this parable. I have been given much and the Lord God expects me to use the gifts for His purpose. Time and time again the Lord God has shown mercy to me as He did for the tenants. He forgives my failings, my shortcomings. But I may never ever take advantage of His patience as the tenants did. God will prevail. Help me daily Lord to ‘work’ in Your ‘garden’ with joy and hope serving You in all I do and say. In You and You only can I be victorious living for Jesus.
While he offers peace and pardon,
let us hear his voice today,
lest, if we our hearts should harden,
we should perish in the way;
lest to us, so unbelieving,
he in judgment shall declare:
“You, so long my Spirit grieving,
never in my rest can share.”