Joshua 1: 7-8; Proverbs 24: 30-34; 3 John 2-4
When we see those people who, thanks to their tenacity and effort, have reached a level of prosperity that allows them to live comfortably, we marvel and how we would like to be like them, to have that same drive that has led others to achieve all that that we dream.
We are represented in all those people who are successful in life, because in the intimate we would also like to achieve the same things, especially when they are achieved by the fruit of effort and perseverance.
But the same thing happens to us the opposite when we see those people who squander what prodigal children their goods, and everything that has been the fruit of their parents, their family or perhaps of themselves throw it away, when we see how all the achievement of a life is destroyed by carelessness and negligence, of men lacking in understanding, we do not feel identified with them and we would like them to receive their punishment for their irresponsible behavior.
Exegetical idea of the passage. Negligence and lack of work, deprive man of all possibility of prosperity, which is part of the will of God, for man, that this is prospered in all its ways.
Proposition. The Christian life lacking responsibility and effort, does not allow man to prosper.
Interrogative phrase. How can this be so if God is our Father? By analyzing the passages we have just read, we can understand this question.
First division.
The gospel is full of cases of men who have accepted Jesus Christ, and their lives have changed, they have been adorned with gifts, they have prospered spiritually and also materially, in a few words they have experienced the regeneration and the change of life that this brings rigged.
But over time many of these men or women begin to experience a setback in their lives, their spiritual state begins to decline, their concern for the things that pertain to the kingdom begins to diminish, they no longer attend the cult so often, their expression of gratitude fades away, and little by little it goes back to its first state.
The Lord summed up this process, when he said to his disciples, "When the unclean spirit comes out of man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest, and does not find it; then he says: I will return to my house where I left; and when it arrives it finds it swept and adorned; then he goes and takes with himself seven other spirits worse than himself, and when they enter, they dwell there, and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first "(Matthew 12: 43-48). Then all the work of the Holy Spirit of order and cleanliness in the man is ruined.
It may be asked: Why is this happening? Perhaps the Lord did not take us and no power can harm us. While this is true, the Lord has also commanded us to work and worry with determination in what he has given us, following the word of the Lord in this regard, tells us the following: "In addition, the kingdom of heaven is similar to a treasure hidden in a field, which a man finds, and hides it again; and joyful for that he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field "(Matthew 13:44).
The message of the Lord is clear, once we have found life we can not sit idly by, we need to work on our salvation with fear and trembling, every man who falls asleep and is lazy, his destruction and ruin is assured, if the thief looks at the house of the lazy man, he sees that he is negligent in his care, that he has the fence destroyed, that the grass is long, he knows that this house can be stolen easily, that its occupant is a man who does not he cares what he has, that he does not value his assets, and therefore he will not defend them when they want to steal, the man who does not strive in the kingdom of heaven, where the brave enter, has a life assured of poverty and misery, will never be able to know the abundant life that the Lord promised.
We can not forget that the thief is on the lookout, watching, waiting for the moment when the inhabitants are neglected, forget their responsibilities and begin to nod, sleep and neglect what God has given us. Is this really what God wants for his children, for this did the Lord give his life? Second division.
No, the answer is no, what a wonderful promise Jehovah gave to Joshua, but it was not without a demand, do not stray from the law either right or left, so that you will prosper in all the things you undertake. Is it just for the old dispensation?
No, what the apostle John says to his disciple Gallo, I want you to prosper in all things, but this desire is not free either, but it adds, I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in truth.
The call of the spirit is to work not to be negligent, to strive, during the ten years that the siege of Troy lasted, while the Trojans kept watch, the Greeks could not defeat them, and they could not break the Trojan defenses, only the cunning of Ulysses, allowed the Trojans to be neglected and lower their guard.
When the Greeks pretended to retire and left a large wooden horse on the beach, they entered the city in triumph, made a party, removed the guards from the walls, got drunk and feasted, forgot the surveillance and gave themselves to the dream, and in the middle of the dream, their enemies returned, those who were hidden in the horse, descended and opened the doors of the city, the Greeks entered and were ruthless, they killed all the inhabitants, they plundered the city, they raped, they took slaves, and reduced it to ashes and debris.
When the enemy enters our house he does it to destroy, to plunder and kill, he has no mercy, only the one who is vigilant, who does not bow to exhaustion, who knows that the fight is not over, can remain unscathed in the face of adversity .
It is not time to rest, it is not time to sleep, you have to watch, you have to redouble your guard.
"... For when they say peace and safety then sudden destruction will come upon them, as the pangs of a pregnant woman, and they will not escape ..." (1 Thessalonians 5: 3). What to do then they will ask?
The word of God once again has the answer, "we also ask you brothers to admonish the idlers, to encourage those of little courage, to support the weak, to be patient with all, see that no one pays another evil for evil; Always follow the good always for each other, and for all; be always joyful; pray without ceasing; give thanks in everything, because this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus; do not quench the Spirit, do not despise the prophecies, examine everything; hold back the good; abstain from all kinds of evil "(1 Thessalonians 5: 13-22), and also as aco.
So, what does the Lord want from his children? Let them work and multiply the talent that He has given them, we can not act with negligence like the servant, who hid the talent on earth because he knew that his Lord was a strong man (Matthew 25: 14-30).
Today is the time to cultivate the gift, to grow our talents, to act as children of light, to raise our eyes to the heavens and which Joshua never to turn away from our target that is the sovereign vocation, to which God himself He has called, we can not stay with the conviction that we can not do anything else, we must continue forward, with confidence, with our eyes on Jesus, we can not faint, we must continue.
Conclusion and Call.
Therefore, after reflecting on the intimacy of our being, in front of the mirror of the word of God, we have to make a determination before God, are we satisfied with the condition we have before Him, do we feel rich, our life it is abundant, it is prosperous, we have joy in our heart? or we only survive in a mendicant way.
This is how it is time to change our attitude and not neglect our house anymore, we must begin cleaning, order ventilation, give the first place to God, do as the word advises us, in short to start living as children of light , who wish to prosper, we can not be satisfied with the condition we have, we must revive, we must raise our eyes and rise, today I will begin a new life in front of God, today I will dedicate more time to him, I will raise the walls, I will expel the enemies , I will relocate the throne of the Holy Spirit in my heart, I will remove it from among the old junk, I will shake it, I will put it in the center of my heart and I will let the Holy Spirit sit in it and govern my life, starting today I will sleep more in the day and I will watch over the nights, I want to prosper, that his word be fulfilled in me and my house and my city not be prey to the robbers and thieves who want to destroy it.
From today I want to be like Mary the slave of the Lord, and that the will of him be done in me, I only want to work for him, not to win a throne or a place of privilege in the kingdom of heaven, only to to fulfill the will of my Father, and to have a life with the dignity that Christ has given me.
Today is a day of victory if we want, it is a day of decision for those who want to change, if their life does not need any change, Glory to God, but I need it, I want to be prosperous in all things, but I also need to walk in the truth and never get away from his word.
The invitation is open to anyone who wants to change their life, you face God, face to face make a decision and strive to fulfill it. The grace of God through his Son, Jesus Christ, will help us and will make all those who make their decision today, God bless them.