May 3 | Ecclesiastes 9:3-10

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DAILY READING

Ecclesiastes 9:3-10

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REFLECTION

Vertical Living vs Horizontal

by Judy Webb

The theme of these verses is enjoyment. Enjoy the things of life, for they are God-given. We have unspeakable joy because of our salvation. This joy is found everywhere: mealtimes, family gatherings, our spouse and/or friends, and our work.

God intends for believers to enjoy life. How do you enjoy life? Solomon points out that we all have one thing in common, the certainty of our death. God has approved of a merry heart. This doesn’t mean every minute of every day will be filled with joy; no, that’s not reasonable. Every day will not be as we want it to be, but it is still okay to have joy. We don’t have to be miserable to be spiritual. “Anyone who is among the living has hope.” (Ecclesiastes 9:4a)

Have a blast while you last!

I think the verses for today speak of two ways of living. The first is living horizontally. To live horizontally we are in the world; we are living only for our pleasure, amassing wealth, and keeping it to ourselves. We keep our faith in ourselves (if we have any) and we scoff at others who need our help. We live for self, relying on our riches to provide happiness.

Horizontal living is defined by having a good time. Forgot about living righteously for we are all going to die eventually.

No regrets, you can’t know when, but you can be ready!

The second is living vertically. Be prepared – not with a bulging portfolio but with a love that’s obvious to all. There are three ways to live vertically:

1.    Enjoy life – have a happy heart, integrate personal life, family life, and faith life.

2.    Take Risks – share your faith with that neighbor who doesn’t know Jesus.

3.    Seek Wisdom – Pray to the Holy Spirit every day and ask for guidance and direction.

4.    Use your riches to glorify God. Share with others, care for neighbors who need some help.

Each day is a gift, make the most of it. We have unspeakable joy because of our salvation. Live vertically and share that joy!

PRAYER

Dear Jesus, teach us to live vertically, always focused you and sharing your glory with others who need to see You. Horizontal living is selfish and self-absorbed, but vertical living see You and wants to grab hold of that life. Amen.

May 2 | Luke 16:1-15

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DAILY READING

Luke 16:1-15

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REFLECTION

The Wise and Godly Manager

by Kristin Schoeff

Jesus truly was a master storyteller, and he used his parables to teach the crowds who came to hear him. Often, his point may seem clear to us, but at times, the parables of Jesus are puzzling – even baffling. Reading and studying this parable of the dishonest steward, I learned that many people consider it to be the most difficult to understand of all the parables recorded in the Gospels. That has always been my take on it as well!

But don’t you love the fact that Jesus’ disciples, when they couldn’t understand his meaning, came to him in private and said, “Explain to us the parable….”? (Matthew 13:36)  His disciples asked him “Why do You speak to the crowds in parables?” and he answered, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.” (Matthew 13:11)

So as we read today’s passage and its odd seeming commendation of the Dishonest (ESV), Shrewd (NIV) Manager, let’s come and ask Jesus what mysteries of the kingdom he wants to teach us through it.

As I’ve studied and reflected on this, I’ve definitely come to the conclusion that Jesus’ point was NOT to commend dishonesty, but rather to teach those who follow him about the wise use of money and material goods that have been entrusted to us by our Lord and Master. After telling the story, Jesus immediately made it personal: “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” (Luke 16:9)

What a stark contrast: the shrewd and dishonest manager manipulated the accounts of those who owed his master so that when he ran out of money, those whom he had helped would welcome him into their homes. (Luke 16:4) But Jesus told his followers to use their wealth to win friends (and many commentaries consider this to be at least in part by investing in Gospel work, winning people to Christ), so that when the day comes when our lives on earth are finished and money no longer is of use to us, we can rejoice as we enter our heavenly home, as we’ve made it our true treasure.

Jesus concludes his lesson by letting us know how very important it is to our Lord how we handle our money and the other things he’s blessed us with. After all, he is our master who has entrusted these things to us to manage, and he states that if we’re faithful with very little, he can trust us with much, and he can entrust to us true riches, which won’t rust, be stolen, or become moth-eaten, for they are the blessings of life forever in his presence.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, we receive your challenge to be faithful even in the small things in this life and in the use of the resources you’ve blessed us with. Speak to our hearts and guide us in how we can share our abundance to your glory. In your precious name we pray, Amen.

May 1 | Proverbs 1:1-7

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DAILY READING

Proverbs 1:1-7

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REFLECTION

Generous Re-imagination

by Katie Borden

Ah, proverbs. Those catchy little educational phrases–from the non-Biblical (“an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”) to the Biblical (Prov. 4:23 “guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it”), to the hilarious-yet-somehow-still-Biblical (one of my personal favorites: Prov. 26:11 “as a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly”).

We can be tempted to see these adages as little one-off sayings that intersect with one tiny slice of lived experience and inform our actions in that particular context. But the words of our passage today, which act as the prologue to the rest of the book of Proverbs, might imply that the Biblical book of succinct phrases serves an even more overarching purpose for us: God intends to offer us wisdom, not just knowledge. Wisdom is often thought of as the sound insight or judgment that comes from lived experience. I suspect that’s why we often think of being both “older and wiser” as a package deal.

However, I don’t think Scripture intends to tell us we should be better people by living more wisely because of lived experience and catchy phrases–although these Proverbs can shape us in our character and help us know what is “right and just and fair” (v.3). As the Holy Spirit works in our hearts, we are granted a truer, more paradigm-altering wisdom that comes from God. When we come “face to face” with God’s unfathomable grace and love, our hearts are changed and our imaginations transformed to capture a new vision of what life might be like when lived in the way God intends for life to be, both for us as individuals and as a community.

As we are shaped in wisdom and our imaginations change, I suspect the way we desire to spend our lives, our energy, our time, and yes, even our money, changes. Our generous God instills a new, better, more beautiful vision in our minds and hearts for what life can look like, and so what might look like foolish spending to others is, to our reinvigorated imaginations, a worthy investment poured freely into the flourishing kingdom of God for the good of his creation and for his glory. Lord, may it be so!

PRAYER

God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, continue to create in me a new heart and shape within me a new imagination for what life can look like in the glory and goodness of your kingdom. Train my heart to live life in your way, in your presence. Amen.