11/21/16: About Faithfulness

Proverbs 28:20 says, “ A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished” (NKJ). Proverbs get right to the point, and so will I.

Faithful: ’emuwnah (em-oo-naw’) in Hebrew means firmness, security; moral fidelity, stability, and truth.
Man: ‘iysh (eesh) in Hebrew usually means a man as an individual or a male person, but is often used as an adjunct to a more definite term and can even mean champion and one who is worthy.
Abound: rab (rab) in Hebrew means abundant in quantity, size, age, number, rank, or quality
Blessing in Hebrew means benediction; by implication prosperity
To Hasten: ‘uwts (oots) in Hebrew means to press; hurry, labor, and be narrow
To be Rich: `ashar (aw-shar’) in Hebrew means to accumulate for yourself
(will not go) Unpunished: naqah (naw-kaw’) in Hebrew means to be bare, i.e. extirpated (to pull out by the roots, destroy or remove completely, exterminate, abolish)

As we are faithful – firm, morally stable – we will stand as God’s champions, worthy of the abundant prosperity His hand will bestow. If we give up on God and take matters into our own hands, to succeed on our own terms, we will narrow our own prospects and take ourselves to our own utter destruction.

Faithfulness on our part requires our patience and trust in God’s faithfulness. Work steadily on, not pressing or hurrying; just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Do the next thing excellently and faithfully, and watch God’s abundant blessings come.

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©2016 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

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Mission Trip Update! I think about Africa every day. I met a lady from South Africa today. She was a visitor at my church. Before I said hello, she grabbed my hand and said, “You look like Africa. Are you from there?” When I answered without an accent, she said she knew I was American, but she still insisted I looked like Africa. Then I told her I had just returned from the Motherland! Later, when I met her daughter, she proclaimed that I looked like I was either Kenyan or Nigerian. What’s happening? Too cool!

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