January 2021
Sabbath, January 2, 2021 - For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing . . . Revelation 3:17 Abundance or Fruitfulness?
Sabbath, January 9, 2021 - For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice; , , , Zechariah 4:10 Don't Despise Small Things
Sabbath, January 16, 2021 - Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket . . . Matthew 5:15 Shine!
Sabbath, January 23, 2021 - Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 1 Peter 3:3
Sabbath, January 30, 2021 - All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:3
Sabbath, January 2, 2021
Abundance or Fruitfulness?
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, , , , Revelation 3:17
Materials: herb jars of homegrown dill, cilantro, coriander, mint
If you ever talk to an experienced gardener about planting dill, cilantro, or mint, they will strongly caution you about where you plant these three common plants. (I’m sure there are others!!) I remember my mom telling me, “You only have to plant dill once.” It comes back year after year. It’s very prolific. So is cilantro. To the inexperienced person, it seems like an overabundance of caution. What’s the big deal? You get lots of dill or mint or cilantro. So what? That may have been what the pilgrims on the Mayflower thought when they brought over dandelions to use for medicinal purposes! They would be shocked to find that today so many people work very hard to eradicate dandelions from their gardens and yards. Dandelions are considered weeds - a plant that comes up where you don’t want it! And that’s what happens, especially, with the cilantro and the dill. It comes up and takes over, choking out what you really wanted to grow.
Similarly, you’ve seen people work very hard to get their fruit trees to produce lots of fruit - only to find that the tree is so laden with fruit that the branches start breaking. If that happens, the fruit won’t mature on that branch. And if it’s a big enough branch that breaks, it can kill the tree! Or sometimes the tree is so laden with fruit that it overextends itself - and ends up dying even if the branches don’t break!! And sometimes the overabundance of one plant interferes with the fruitfulness of the plant next to it.
There are several lessons for us. First, abundance doesn’t necessarily mean fruitfulness. You can have an abundance of mint, dill, or dandelions. They could be considered a blessing. Sometimes things we consider blessings can take over your life, like weeds, and get in the way of other parts of your life that really need your attention. So be careful of the projects you undertake.
Secondly, be careful about taking on a project that sounds good, but it saps all of your time and energy so that you can’t do other things that have to be done. Sometimes we think we’re doing a Godly work, but we neglect to ask God for His wisdom and direction first. We find ourselves worn out, doing something which we end up realizing God didn’t want us to do in the first place. Like a tree whose branches are broken or a bush that has overextended itself, we can get to the end of a project with no energy left for what is truly valuable.
The Laodiceans thought they were rich and had an abundance! And physically, perhaps they did. But they were not rich in the ways God wanted them to be. We can think we are rich and are producing an abundance of fruit. Yet, in reality, we have an overabundance of something which does not benefit us or the people around us. In fact, it’s detrimental!! And it doesn’t bring glory to God.
Sabbath, January 9th
Don’t Despise Small Things
For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice; , , , Zechariah 4:10
Materials: small round rock, mustard seed, a match, word
People tend to overlook small things. When you see a small round rock, what Bible story does it bring to mind? Do you think of Goliath, a giant of a man, defying the armies of the living God? Or do you think of God using David, his sling, and a small round stone to gain a victory (1 Samuel 17:50)?
What about a mustard seed, a tiny mustard seed? What did Jesus say about a mustard seed? If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can move mountains (Matthew 17:20)! It seems incredible that if we truly had that much faith - a little tiny bit - we could do great things to bring glory and honor to God.
We could talk about God using Gideon’s 300 men to defeat an army of Midianites and Amalekites that were like locusts or the sand on the seashore as to number (Judges 7:12). We could talk about Jesus blessing and breaking the five loaves and two fish (Matthew 14) and feeding 5000 men.
What do all of these small things have in common? They all were small things that God used: the rock in the hand of David, a mustard seed faith in the heart of a believer, a small group of men defeating the foes of God’s people, and a boy’s lunch in the hands of Jesus. Each of these small things brought glory and honor to God.
Another small thing is a match. When you see a match, do you think of how “it only takes a spark to get a fire going?” It’s amazing how a little tiny match can start a pile of leaves or brush on fire. Such a tiny thing that you could easily smash and destroy has the power to create a blazing wildfire. James (chapter 3) makes the comparison between a tiny spark of fire and the power of our words. Our words have the power to tear down and they have the power to heal. Such a small thing - a word, a small comment, a smile or an insult, a harsh word, and a frown. What incredible power there is for good or for evil in the small things we do and say.
In Zechariah 4:10 God was comforting His people who had seen the magnificence of Solomon’s temple. The temple which was being built by Ezra after the people were brought back from captivity in Babylon was a small and pitiful temple in comparison. But God told them not to look down on the day of small things. It was a beginning. It might have looked small. But God often does great things with small things. And eventually, they would rejoice!
Sometimes we think that our actions don’t matter. We are rather insignificant. But God often takes the insignificant and uses it for His glory. If you are willing to be used of God, if you make it your goal and habit to act in a godly manner, if you trust God with all of your heart, He can take your words and deeds and use them in a very powerful way. But make a start today. Start reading His word, so you know what pleases Him. Start praying to Him. Start spending time thinking about His ways. Make a start. And don’t despise the day of small things. God doesn’t.
Sabbath, January 16th
Shine!
Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket . . . Matthew 5:15
Materials: candle, matches, bowl or flashlight and basket
We all know how silly it would be to light a candle and then put it under a bowl so that it won’t give its light. If you put the candle under the bowl, what will happen to the candle? Eventually, it will burn all of the oxygen available and it will go out. How silly to light a candle just to let it go out - and be of no use to anyone at all. This statement presupposes that we need the light. It’s dark and we can’t see; we need the light. So we light a candle. Then what do we do with the candle? We hold it up, or put it up high enough so it can shine its light so we can see.
We know that Jesus is the Light of the world (John 1:4-9; John 8:12). So it should not be surprising to find scriptures in the Old Testament that would point to this reality. For instance, the lampstand which was in the tabernacle was to be tended by the priests from evening to morning; it was not allowed to go out (Exodus 27:21). John 1:5 tells us that Jesus, the Light, shines in the darkness. Also, this lamp stand had 22 almond flowers on it - the same number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1). He is the Word and the Light which illuminates our path.
And there are other references to light - very comforting and encouraging references:
Micah 7:8 - Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.
Psalm 27:1 - The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 18:28 - You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
And then there’s this very important scripture in Matthew 5:14; Jesus tells His disciples that they are the light of the world. Then He tells them that people don’t light a lamp and put it under a basket.
If you are a follower, a disciple, of Jesus Christ then Jesus has called you the light of the world. You are to be giving glory and honor to God in everything you do - especially as the world around you grows more dark. If the world were full of light, your light wouldn’t be seen - or as desperately needed. But in an ever-increasingly darkening world, your light is more important than ever. We each need to make sure that we’re following in the footsteps of Jesus, the Light of the world, that we can likewise spread His light to people who desperately need hope; they desperately need the Savior; they need Light.
However, it's not only people who don’t know our God who need your light; God’s people need the encouragement too. There’s a stanza in a song: I will hold the Christlight for you in the nighttime of your fear; I will hold my hand out to you, speak the peace you long to hear. We each rely on the light of our brothers and sisters in Christ to endure and persevere, to stay the course. We need the light!!
Especially now, don’t hide your light under a basket. Let it shine!!
Sabbath, January 2, 2021 - For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing . . . Revelation 3:17 Abundance or Fruitfulness?
Sabbath, January 9, 2021 - For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice; , , , Zechariah 4:10 Don't Despise Small Things
Sabbath, January 16, 2021 - Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket . . . Matthew 5:15 Shine!
Sabbath, January 23, 2021 - Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 1 Peter 3:3
Sabbath, January 30, 2021 - All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:3
Sabbath, January 2, 2021
Abundance or Fruitfulness?
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, , , , Revelation 3:17
Materials: herb jars of homegrown dill, cilantro, coriander, mint
If you ever talk to an experienced gardener about planting dill, cilantro, or mint, they will strongly caution you about where you plant these three common plants. (I’m sure there are others!!) I remember my mom telling me, “You only have to plant dill once.” It comes back year after year. It’s very prolific. So is cilantro. To the inexperienced person, it seems like an overabundance of caution. What’s the big deal? You get lots of dill or mint or cilantro. So what? That may have been what the pilgrims on the Mayflower thought when they brought over dandelions to use for medicinal purposes! They would be shocked to find that today so many people work very hard to eradicate dandelions from their gardens and yards. Dandelions are considered weeds - a plant that comes up where you don’t want it! And that’s what happens, especially, with the cilantro and the dill. It comes up and takes over, choking out what you really wanted to grow.
Similarly, you’ve seen people work very hard to get their fruit trees to produce lots of fruit - only to find that the tree is so laden with fruit that the branches start breaking. If that happens, the fruit won’t mature on that branch. And if it’s a big enough branch that breaks, it can kill the tree! Or sometimes the tree is so laden with fruit that it overextends itself - and ends up dying even if the branches don’t break!! And sometimes the overabundance of one plant interferes with the fruitfulness of the plant next to it.
There are several lessons for us. First, abundance doesn’t necessarily mean fruitfulness. You can have an abundance of mint, dill, or dandelions. They could be considered a blessing. Sometimes things we consider blessings can take over your life, like weeds, and get in the way of other parts of your life that really need your attention. So be careful of the projects you undertake.
Secondly, be careful about taking on a project that sounds good, but it saps all of your time and energy so that you can’t do other things that have to be done. Sometimes we think we’re doing a Godly work, but we neglect to ask God for His wisdom and direction first. We find ourselves worn out, doing something which we end up realizing God didn’t want us to do in the first place. Like a tree whose branches are broken or a bush that has overextended itself, we can get to the end of a project with no energy left for what is truly valuable.
The Laodiceans thought they were rich and had an abundance! And physically, perhaps they did. But they were not rich in the ways God wanted them to be. We can think we are rich and are producing an abundance of fruit. Yet, in reality, we have an overabundance of something which does not benefit us or the people around us. In fact, it’s detrimental!! And it doesn’t bring glory to God.
Sabbath, January 9th
Don’t Despise Small Things
For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice; , , , Zechariah 4:10
Materials: small round rock, mustard seed, a match, word
People tend to overlook small things. When you see a small round rock, what Bible story does it bring to mind? Do you think of Goliath, a giant of a man, defying the armies of the living God? Or do you think of God using David, his sling, and a small round stone to gain a victory (1 Samuel 17:50)?
What about a mustard seed, a tiny mustard seed? What did Jesus say about a mustard seed? If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can move mountains (Matthew 17:20)! It seems incredible that if we truly had that much faith - a little tiny bit - we could do great things to bring glory and honor to God.
We could talk about God using Gideon’s 300 men to defeat an army of Midianites and Amalekites that were like locusts or the sand on the seashore as to number (Judges 7:12). We could talk about Jesus blessing and breaking the five loaves and two fish (Matthew 14) and feeding 5000 men.
What do all of these small things have in common? They all were small things that God used: the rock in the hand of David, a mustard seed faith in the heart of a believer, a small group of men defeating the foes of God’s people, and a boy’s lunch in the hands of Jesus. Each of these small things brought glory and honor to God.
Another small thing is a match. When you see a match, do you think of how “it only takes a spark to get a fire going?” It’s amazing how a little tiny match can start a pile of leaves or brush on fire. Such a tiny thing that you could easily smash and destroy has the power to create a blazing wildfire. James (chapter 3) makes the comparison between a tiny spark of fire and the power of our words. Our words have the power to tear down and they have the power to heal. Such a small thing - a word, a small comment, a smile or an insult, a harsh word, and a frown. What incredible power there is for good or for evil in the small things we do and say.
In Zechariah 4:10 God was comforting His people who had seen the magnificence of Solomon’s temple. The temple which was being built by Ezra after the people were brought back from captivity in Babylon was a small and pitiful temple in comparison. But God told them not to look down on the day of small things. It was a beginning. It might have looked small. But God often does great things with small things. And eventually, they would rejoice!
Sometimes we think that our actions don’t matter. We are rather insignificant. But God often takes the insignificant and uses it for His glory. If you are willing to be used of God, if you make it your goal and habit to act in a godly manner, if you trust God with all of your heart, He can take your words and deeds and use them in a very powerful way. But make a start today. Start reading His word, so you know what pleases Him. Start praying to Him. Start spending time thinking about His ways. Make a start. And don’t despise the day of small things. God doesn’t.
Sabbath, January 16th
Shine!
Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket . . . Matthew 5:15
Materials: candle, matches, bowl or flashlight and basket
We all know how silly it would be to light a candle and then put it under a bowl so that it won’t give its light. If you put the candle under the bowl, what will happen to the candle? Eventually, it will burn all of the oxygen available and it will go out. How silly to light a candle just to let it go out - and be of no use to anyone at all. This statement presupposes that we need the light. It’s dark and we can’t see; we need the light. So we light a candle. Then what do we do with the candle? We hold it up, or put it up high enough so it can shine its light so we can see.
We know that Jesus is the Light of the world (John 1:4-9; John 8:12). So it should not be surprising to find scriptures in the Old Testament that would point to this reality. For instance, the lampstand which was in the tabernacle was to be tended by the priests from evening to morning; it was not allowed to go out (Exodus 27:21). John 1:5 tells us that Jesus, the Light, shines in the darkness. Also, this lamp stand had 22 almond flowers on it - the same number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1). He is the Word and the Light which illuminates our path.
And there are other references to light - very comforting and encouraging references:
Micah 7:8 - Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.
Psalm 27:1 - The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 18:28 - You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
And then there’s this very important scripture in Matthew 5:14; Jesus tells His disciples that they are the light of the world. Then He tells them that people don’t light a lamp and put it under a basket.
If you are a follower, a disciple, of Jesus Christ then Jesus has called you the light of the world. You are to be giving glory and honor to God in everything you do - especially as the world around you grows more dark. If the world were full of light, your light wouldn’t be seen - or as desperately needed. But in an ever-increasingly darkening world, your light is more important than ever. We each need to make sure that we’re following in the footsteps of Jesus, the Light of the world, that we can likewise spread His light to people who desperately need hope; they desperately need the Savior; they need Light.
However, it's not only people who don’t know our God who need your light; God’s people need the encouragement too. There’s a stanza in a song: I will hold the Christlight for you in the nighttime of your fear; I will hold my hand out to you, speak the peace you long to hear. We each rely on the light of our brothers and sisters in Christ to endure and persevere, to stay the course. We need the light!!
Especially now, don’t hide your light under a basket. Let it shine!!
