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Be Careful What You Share
Andrea Lende • July 14, 2020
Matthew 7:6
Be Careful What You Share
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Be-Careful-What-You-Share-egoe2b
Daily Word:
Matthew 7:6
“Do not give that which is holy (the sacred thing) to the dogs, and do not throw your pearls before hogs, lest they trample upon them with their feet and turn and tear you in pieces.”
There were many words of wisdom that Jesus shared in His Sermon on the Mount.
Our verse today is one of them.
As I read this verse, I had a sense that the Lord was wanting me to consider a deeper meaning of this wisdom.
I researched pearls as used in the Bible and found that pearls are the one precious gem that need no work done by man to complete them.
There are no cuts to be made to shape them.
They are perfect just the way they are.
Pearls are compared to the kingdom of heaven because of their perfection.
Our verse says, “do not throw your pearls before hogs”.
It says, “Do not give that which is holy to the dogs”.
As I further reflect on the meaning of this verse, I believe God is giving us a nugget of wisdom to warn us.
He is warning us that we should not share our gifts with those who cannot receive them.
He warns us to be careful who we share our inner most thoughts with.
If they are unable to receive and appreciate our gifts and thoughts, then they will try and steel our dreams.
The ones that the Lord has given us.
Jesus warns us, “lest they trample upon them with their feet and turn and tear you into pieces.”
Today I pray for discernment that the Lord will show me who I should share with and who I should be careful about sharing too much with.
May you find that the Lord will give you the discernment to know who to share your innermost being with and who you should be careful about sharing with.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for sending Your Son to this earth to teach me and impart Your Wisdom into my soul. Thank You for giving such sound advice as I read Your Word. Help me see all that You want me to see. I pray for understanding and wisdom of Your Word. Help me understand all that You have to teach me so that I become more like You, Lord. Show me Your ways as I comb through the scripture. Teach me all that I need to know to do Your work. I pray for more Wisdom, Father, as much as You will give me. Forgive my shortcomings and mistakes as I learn more and more about You. As I learn I do better. I can see my past mistakes and pray that You keep from them as I go forward in this life. Keep me from temptation and help me only do as You would have me do. Prepare me for this day and for Your use, Lord. Help me do all that You have for me to do here on earth, and then quickly bring me back to You. Thank You for all You do and all you are. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I enjoy teaching you about Me, My child, and will continue to teach you more of My ways.
Response: Thank You, Almighty God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.