Community Devotions

Old Tents, New Patches

Acts 18:3-4

3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. 4 Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

 OBSERVATION

 It is interesting but culturally, it must have made sense for Paul to be possess tent-making skills.  Tents as the Bedouins used them in the Middle East were made of black coarse goat hair.  It was the primary material used to make tents in which all nomads lived, different from burlap material.  It was also the common practice that no new tents were made routinely but old tents were simply repaired, patched up, sections replaced, especially the top portion which will be used as side panels.

Our life and ministry are intertwined where we should not have a demarcation between work, life and ministry but they should all be part of our whole life.  This is the reason why our lives must be consistent whether at home, at work or at church.  We should be no holier at church than at home or at work.  Our lives are an extension of our parents who raised us and our children should be an extension of who we are.  Just as tents were patched up and handed down through generations, our faith must be resilient so that when our children are ready to take ownership of their faith, it is part of the old tent as well as new patches that they will add to the whole tent.

 APPLICATION

 Be extending at work, consistent at home and diligent at church.  Be joyful with the hand-me-down tent because it is part of my heritage and blessings. 

PRAYER

Father God, thank you for your grace and blessings of skills that we have, to honor your name by employing those skills at home, at work and at church.  Cleanse my heart so that my thoughts and my words are pleasing in Your sight.  Guide and protect Michael, especially in his new position in the unit.  Bless Joshua as he strives to improve his grades and fill Daniel with peace and joy as he spends the day at school.  I love you, Lord Jesus and it’s in your name I pray.  Amen.

Boldy Speaking Out

Exodus 18:19-23

19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 Teach them his decrees and  instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. 21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

Observation

Mose’s father-in-law, Jethro, spoke at the appropriate time to Moses to offer advice that would lighten his load and allow Moses to teach and lead the Israelites effectively. Jethro ‘spoke out’ in a timely manner to mentor Moses, knowing from experience, that Moses couldn’t teach effectively and was headed toward burnout without the help of other seasoned leaders to assist him. This was a teachable moment for Moses and showed his maturity as a leader to accept advice from an elder with humility, respect and trust.

Application

Everyone needs a mentor and to be a mentor at the same time to the younger generation. The Old Testament has many examples about passing the baton of faith and God’s decrees from one generation to the next, effectively. It takes a partnership between the older and younger generation to reach out and reach our family, community and world with God’s grace & love. Both generations are important and significant in God’s eyes and have a lot to contribute, Joel 2:28, since your old men shall dream dreams, and young men shall see visions to spread the gospel to all the world. Speaking out also requires boldness and courage and to guard our words so that it ‘builds up’ with God’s grace.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, let me have the eyes to see, ears to hear, and mouth to speak out in a timely manner to mentor those that you want me to share and speak life with. Help me to connect and develop close relationships with my brothers and sisters in Christ and also non-believers so that they may see Jesus’s love and grace thru me. Let me use my time effectively and not squander it for your glory and increase my intercessory prayer for others. Amen.