Nougat 20

God is seeking a faithful bride. Are you – am I – numbered in the ‘One?’ Consider today’s Holy Nougat

““One who is faithful in the smallest matters is also faithful in much, and the one unjust in the smallest matters will likewise be unjust in much.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭16:10‬ ‭TLV‬‬

God is seeking a faithful bride.

Not just faithful in word; but more so in deed. For me, this includes how we live our faith when we think no one is watching; in fact, that is perhaps what matters most to God.

The Sermon on the Mount moves us from the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, to a series of life lessons on faithful living. Invariably, Jesus begins each of those with the phrase “you have heard it said”; which he rebuts with “but I say…”. This leads me to the conclusion that our call to faithfulness is also a call to consistent holiness.

Our acts of faithfulness do not begin at the deed, as they reflect the heart’s intentions in general. Usually, that begins with our thought and spiritual life. For it is from the content of our minds and spirit that our words and actions evolve (see Matthew 12:34). ie We may choose to act counter to our nature on occassion; but consistent behavior patterns reflect an inward state of being.

Not to worry, for God’s intention is that we learn to be faithful, if it isn’t already inherent. How do I get there?, you wonder. Because our nougat indicates that when we are faithful over the little things, there is scope for more. Just like the parable of the stewards; upon the return of the master; each was rewarded in response to their demonstrated capacity.

We also note that whether it was the Lucan or Matthean narrative (cf Luke 19:12-28; and Matthew 25:14-30), both versions indicate that the stewards each got different amounts to invest. This suggests that the staff were entrusted according to their proven abilities (with the last perhaps being untried). But we also note that each received the same opportunity – that of investment.

This suggests to me that Jesus’ reference to our faithfulness in the nougat is also indicative of each of us being accorded a measure of faith upon accepting Jesus as Savior. And what’s within will determine how our faith grows. And that can be impacted by the amount of leeway we give to Jesus over our lives. So, when Jesus has jurisdiction over our heart and thought life; our behavior is consistently faithful. But when other things choke Jesus’ capacity to transform us; faithless-ness creeps in.

What then, dominates our hearts and thoughts? God is seeking a faithful bride. Are we?

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May all we seek be found in Christ