Taking Care of Natural Resources (Deut. 20:19-20)

6/8/2009 7:47 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                              Focus: Taking care of natural resources

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Deut. 20:19-20

 

            Message of the verses:  “19  "When you besiege a city a long time, to make war against it in order to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees by swinging an axe against them; for you may eat from them, and you shall not cut them down. For is the tree of the field a man, that it should be besieged by you? 20  "Only the trees which you know are not fruit trees you shall destroy and cut down, that you may construct siegeworks against the city that is making war with you until it falls.”

          God, through Moses is telling the children of Israel that when they go to another city outside of Canaan to fight against them that they are not to destroy any of the fruit trees because these trees are used for food and this would be a foolish thing to do.  They could use the other types of trees for siegeworks in order to defeat the city, but that was all that they were allowed to use them for.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I must admit that my attitude is not what is should be concerning natural resources because of the political environment in our country.  Many of those who are on the wrong side of politics are taking advantage of environmental issues and this angers me very much.  I know that God has created all things and that I am to be using them in a conservative way and so I need to work on this by God’s grace.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. Put on the spiritual armor.  “10  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14  Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15  and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16  in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.”
2. Trust the Lord to guide my path today.
3. Continue to learn contentment.

 

Memory verses for the week:                                  Ephesians 3:14-17

 

14.  For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

15.  from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,

16.  that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,

17.  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

 

6/8/2009 8:14 AM