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Stuff appears on my calendar that I have never heard of. The most recent was “National Use Your Gift Card Day.”  The third Saturday of January is the day you are encouraged to use the gift cards you received for Christmas if you have not already done so.  It was started in 2020 by Tracy Tilson. She discovered that nearly $100 billion per year is spent on holiday gift cards, but as much as 3% of the cards will never get redeemed. So she promoted the idea and it gained traction in the retail industry, with major chains supporting the holiday.

Can you imagine someone getting a gift card and not using it? People do it all the time. And sadly, the same is true for so many people when it comes the to gift God offers.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In confirmation class, I often used this illustration that went something like this. Imagine if I were to take out a wad of $100 bills right now and place one in front of each and every one of you. I would tell you that is yours. It is a gift from me. You didn’t earn it. It is something I am giving you. At the end of class, some of you pick up the $100 bill and take it with you. Others leave it sitting on the table. Some of those who took the money home stuck it in a drawer and forgot about it. Others actually spent the money. So who got the benefit of the offer? Who missed out? Would it make sense to leave it on the table? Or take it but not use it? Why would you not take advantage of that gift? Yet that is exactly what most of the world does with the gift God gave them in Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8–9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.

People will hear the message that God let Jesus die for the sins of the world, and that you get the benefit of what He earned by believing in Him. But they reject it, they say it is fantasy, or they say it is too easy and too good to be true. The offer is there from God, there for the taking. But they leave it on the table.

You have received the greatest “gift card” you could ever hope to get. A “get out of hell free” card, a “get into heaven free” card. All because of what Jesus did for you. Don’t forget to use your gift card.

I just remembered that Cheryl and I got a gift card for Dairy Queen for Christmas. We will be using that today.

Psalm 103:1-8 (RSV) Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love.

A man walked up to his pastor and said, “I can understand ‘God bless me,’ but how can I bless God? What does it mean when we sing ‘Oh bless the Lord my soul?’” The pastor asked the man, “Do you have any children?” “Yes,” he replied, “a boy who is five and a girl who is six.” “Do they give you Christmas presents?” “Sure,” he replied. “Where do they get the money?” He laughed and said, “I give it to them.” “That’s exactly it,” the preacher answered. “You pay for the Christmas presents your children give you. You watch them plan and whisper their secrets and get excited at the prospect of surprising Daddy. Then on Christmas they come and say ‘Daddy, here is a blessing for you.’ It came from you, but it was a blessing because it came back with their love.”

Maybe that is how we should think of Stewardship: Blessing God. Christian stewards/managers want to  “bless” Him with our entire being, declaring our praise and thanks. That is why many of the newer translations say “Praise” instead of bless in this Psalm, but the Word is the same one that speaks of God giving to us. When it is addressed to God, though, it is understood in the sense of blessing Him with what He has first given to us. I try to make that my understanding of stewardship. All too often it gets reduced to talk about money, which is a disservice to what stewardship should be.

Did you hear about the little boy who saw the offering plate coming down the aisle, so he pulled off his clip-on tie and put it in the collection plate? His mother asked him why he did that and he said, “The pastor is always talking about giving you ties and offerings.”

As amusing as that may be, the little guy had the heart of wanting to give from what had been given to him. That is the heart of a Christian steward. God does not ask you to bless Him with anything He has not first given to you.

I remember a time I was repairing a section of fence around my back yard. I had to dig 8 new holes for fence posts. I was using an old, manual post hole digger. The clay in our yard resembled concrete and it took several days to dig those holes. After I had dug one or two, Cheryl saw how hard I was working, brought me a drink and asked, “Don’t they have something you can rent to do this.” My reply was, “Yeah, but right now I have more time than I do money.” As I thought about that later, I wondered how my complaints to God about finances compared to the thanks I had given Him for the abundance of time I had. Should I not be blessing the Lord with the things He has given to me? Shouldn’t we all?

That is what we should all consider when we think of our stewardship. What has God given you that you can use for Him? What talents and abilities has God given that you can use to bless His holy name? Everything you have comes from the one who owns it all and freely gives it to you. And if that were not enough reason to give back to Him, the Psalmist puts it in perspective.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy… 

That is what God has done for each of you in sending Jesus Christ into this world. The death of Christ in your place and His resurrection from the dead forgives your iniquity, heals your diseases, redeems your life from he pit and gives you the crown of life.  Your faith in Jesus assures you of these blessings. The proper response is Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

May that be your understanding of Christian Stewardship.

Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Growing up in Dallas in the late sixties and early seventies, after we came home from school we could turn on the television and watch reruns of “The Lone Ranger.” I remember watching the Masked Man and his horse Silver, along with his faithful companion Tonto riding that little pinto named Scout. They would go everywhere together. And one of the things Tonto always called The Lone Ranger was “Kemosabe.” We are told that word meant “faithful friend.” And that is what those two were to each other. Faithful friends. No matter what kind of scrape they got into, or if they got separated, they would go find the other and do whatever was necessary to help each other out. They looked out for each other. Tonto and the Lone Ranger were they for each other. A faithful friend is something good to have.

When God was about to lead his people into the Promised Land, Josua was taking over for Moses. He was given the daunting task of leading that massive throng of people into the land promised to their ancestors. You can imagine that was not going to be easy. Their history had shown they were not always cooperative in following their leaders. But as Joshua took the leadership role, God gave Him the assurance that He would always be with him. God would be his faithful friend, his “Kemosabe.” That is the kind of assurance we all need to hear, and it is one Joshua especially needed at that time.

Whatever challenges you are facing right now, remember that God has promised to be your “Kemoabe,” your faithful friend. He was with Joshua, and He was also with His disciples. As He sent them out to make disciples of all the world, He promised He would be with them always. God will be that faithful friend in any and all circumstances.

We know He is our friend. Scripture gives us that assurance over and over again. One of the greatest reminders of that is this passage:

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

That is what our Kemosabe, our faithful friend, did for us. Jesus came for that very reason. And He laid down His life for His friends, for us, so that we could have forgiveness and the certainty of salvation. Our friend is with us.

Our lives include a lot of waiting. Some of those times are easier than others. This past  Saturday, I took my brother, who lives in Dallas, to the hospital for his second hip replacement. I took him in six years ago when he had the left one replaced, and he let the right one go too long (in my opinion) before having it done. We had a rather significant snowfall for our area that shut things down for a few days before that. I was going to drive down early Saturday morning to take him, but the icy conditions and a forecast of roads freezing over again during the night led me to go down Friday afternoon so that I would not have to drive sixty miles in the early morning on “black ice.”

The next morning I took him on mostly clear roads without incident. He was told to be there at 5:30 a.m. for his 8 a.m. operation. He was a bit apprehensive, but ready to get it done. One of the doctors told me it would take about 45 minutes to an hour. We prayed with the doctor, then I went out to the waiting room. His surgery started on time. And I waited. And waited. An hour came and went. Fifteen minutes later, still no news. I prayed and wondered if there was a complication. Another fifteen minutes and still no word. Ten minutes more and still nothing. The waiting wears on you and your imagination starts to run wild. Family members texting and asking if you have heard anything yet adds to your concern. Then an aide asked me to come back to the consultation room. I waited there for the doctor to arrive. When he came in, he said everything was fine. He asked if I had any questions, so I asked if there was a problem that caused it to take so long. He said something about his anatomy presented a challenge and they couldn’t use the prosthesis they intended to use and had to get a different one which wasn’t designed to be inserted in an anterior incision like they had made but he managed to make it work and everything was good. And it was. An hour later I was in my brother’s room and the physical therapist had him up and walking with a walker and he was doing great. Sunday morning he was home again.

As I reflected on this, I realized that the surgeon had a totally different perspective than I did. He was in control of the procedure and had the knowledge and skill to do what was necessary to accomplish the desired result. But I was “left in the dark” as it were while I was waiting. I didn’t have all the information that I was craving. Nor did I need it.

I think that is how it is in our relationship with God. He is in control and doesn’t tell us everything we want to know. He tells us what we need to know, and He takes care of everything in the way that will be best for His children. That is best displayed in the person and work of Jesus. God did exactly what was needed to satisfy His judgment against our sin in a way that would enable us to be forgiven, rescued, redeemed and saved. Jesus paid it all and we get the benefit of His payment by putting our faith and trust and confidence in Him.

When you find yourself waiting for something, and the anxiety starts to creep in, remember the who is in control. You are in a loving relationship with Him because of your faith in Jesus. He will care for you. Reflect on and take consolation from these passages.

Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Lamentations 3:25 (NASB95) The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him.

Psalm 130:5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

God is in control. Always. Trust Him.

Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

A sister and her little brother went to spend the Summer with their grandparents. The Grandfather made a slingshot for the boy and told him he could have it if he promised never to shoot rocks at people or animals. The boy made a solemn promise, and the next days were spent firing rocks at trees and cans and make believe enemies. Then one morning, far across the pond, he saw his grandmother’s pet duck. Not really aiming, he let a rock fly. It arched through the air and hit the duck squarely on the head, killing it instantly. The little boy, fearing the wrath of his grandparents, looked for a place to hide the dead duck. He thought the woodpile next to the barn would conceal his crime perfectly. No sooner had he finished hiding the duck there when he saw his sister watching him from the front porch. She said, “Lunch is ready, Johnnyyyy!” The way she held out his name let him know she had seen everything.

All through lunch he sat silently. His food sat in his stomach like lead. He waited for his sister to reveal his secret, but she just smiled and ate her sandwich. Then grandmother asked, “Sally, will you help with the dishes?” “I would, Grandma, but Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today. Didn’t you, Johnny?” He was thinking about whether or not he should protest, but his sister walked past, leaned over and whispered, “Remember the duck!” Right then, he knew bad days were ahead.

The next week was a nightmare for Johnny. He skipped a fishing trip so he could make supper. He ‘graciously’ let Sally lick out the fudge pan by herself. After many days of doing his sister’s chores, he couldn’t take it anymore. “Grandma,” he tearfully confessed. “I didn’t mean to, but I killed your duck.” “I know,” she said, hugging him. “I was standing at the window and saw the whole thing. Because I love you, I forgave you. But I had to wait until you were ready to come to me and ask forgiveness. I wondered how long you would let your sister keep you a slave.”

Years ago I read an article by Dr. Wallace Schulz of The Lutheran Hour. He wrote about a man who at the age of 19 had been tried and convicted of a double murder and subsequently sentenced to life in prison. After 30 years behind bars, the guilty prisoner was granted freedom by the governor. This was fantastic news. However, during his many days behind bars, and even after he was pardoned by the Governor, the devil kept reminding him of his past sins. The only way he could find any peace was to read and reread the official document from the governor announcing the Good News of His pardon. No matter how often he read it, the message of his pardon brought joy to his heart.

That is you and I should feel each time we read or hear the Gospel, the Good News of what Jesus did to set us free from our sin. We are just as much in bondage to our sin as that man was is prison, but we are not as aware of our predicament as that convicted man was. We all rightly deserve the death penalty because of our sins. If we really understood how totally our sins condemn us before God and how hopeless our situation is without Christ, you and I would be eager to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ again and again and again.

He comes the prisoners to release in Satan’s bondage held
The gates of brass before Him burst, the iron fetters yield.
(The Lutheran Hymnal #66 stanza 2)

Acts 2:22-36 “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. David said about him: “`I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’ “Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “`The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ‘ “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

When Peter preached his Pentecost sermon in Jerusalem, he reminded the crowd of all the things that God, the heavenly Father, had put on Jesus, His Son. The Father had lovingly put His blessing on Jesus at His Baptism when he declared, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” But the Father also placed the heaviest burden of all on His Son. He placed the weight of the cross on His Son’s shoulders. While “evil men” certainly played a part in the passion and suffering of our Lord, it was all part of the divine plan of the Father to sacrifice His Son for the sins of the world. That is what God had foretold through His servant Isaiah: We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)  The iniquity of us all was put on Jesus even though it belonged to us!

The way our sin was put on Jesus was for Him to be put on a cross. The death penalty was called for, and there would be no last minute reprieve or stay of execution from the governor. If there had been, He would have rejected it. He wanted our sin to be put on Him so He could pay the penalty in our place. He wanted to be our reprieve. That is what He was, and that is what He did.

After the heavy weight of the cross was put on Jesus, after Jesus was placed on that cross and killed, Peter pointed out that the Father then put something else on His Son: new life. God raised Jesus from the grave. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Peter continues his Pentecost sermon by describing how after that, the Father called His Son home to heaven and exalted Him to the highest place. The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” After all of this took place, after Jesus had done everything required to earn your forgiveness and had ascended to heaven, the Spirit came. The Father had put the Spirit on the Son so that He could pour it out on all people, something else Isaiah had foretold: Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.  (Isaiah 42:1)

Because the Father put all those things on Jesus, our Father now puts his blessing on us, His children by faith.