BLESS GOD
Tobit 12:6-7
Then Raphael secretly called the two of them, and said to them, “Bless God and give Him thanks. Ascribe greatness to Him and give thanks in the presence of all the living for what He has done for you. It is good to bless God and to exalt His name. Make known the words of God's works honorably and do not delay to give thanks to Him. It is noble to keep hidden the secret of a king, but glorious to unveil the works of God. Do good, and evil will not find you.”
Encouraging Words
Who is this Raphael guy that Tobit and Tobias were about to reward for the help that he had given to them? He was none other than Raphael, one of God's archangels. He did so many miraculous things in the lives of Tobit, Tobias, and their loved ones that they were ready to give him half of their wealth. But he redirected them to focus their praise, thanks, and blessings onto God. It is God that deserves our praise. It is God that deserves our thanks. It is God that deserves our blessings, our all. Our doing good should be all wrapped up in blessing God, for He deserves it. Glory be to God!
MORE ON ALMSGIVING
Tobit 4:16
From your bread, give to him who is hungry, and from your clothing, give to the naked. If you have more than you need, do almsgiving, and do not let your eye envy the almsgiving when you do it.
Personal Challenge
In the Old Testament church, the Jewish nation, tithing was an expectation, not an option. At a minimum, it was 10% of everything. Almsgiving was above and beyond that and pretty much expected as well. The difference was that tithing was an obligation and almsgiving was from a spirit of gratitude for all that one had. Tobit ends his admonition to Tobias by once again reminding him that he needed to take care of those around him who were hungry and naked without envy or remorse, but eagerly and lovingly. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy as me, the sinner!
Saint of the Week
St. Paisios
ALMSGIVING
Tobit 4:5-7
My son, remember the Lord our God all your days, and do not desire to sin or to disobey His commandments. Do righteousness all the days of your life, and do not walk in the ways of wrongdoing. For if you walk in the truth, you will be successful in your works. Do almsgiving from your possessions to all who do righteousness. When you do almsgiving, do not let your eye be envious. Do not turn your face away from any poor man, so the face of God will not be turned away from you.
Personal Challenge
The book of Tobit, an apocryphal book in the Old Testament, is an awesome book to read about a godly man who clearly loves His God. The whole book revolves around the lives of a few people who walk with their eyes on their God and how He rewards that by being active in their lives. In this passage we see Tobit preparing his son, Tobias, to launch out on his life as an adult. Tobit has recently lost his sight and is concerned that he will not be around long enough to prepare his son for his life. In this passage, Tobit teaches Tobias to first take care of his mother as she gets older. He then focused on teaching Tobias to take care of those around him that are in need, the poor, the widow, and the orphan. This definitely shows us where God's heart is. Glory be to God!
AS IT IS WRITTEN
Tobit 1:6
But I alone traveled frequently to Jerusalem for the feast days, as it is written for all of Israel in an everlasting ordinance. I would carry the firstfruits and the tithes of my harvest and the first-shearing.
Personal Challenge
Life is not easy. We all have challenges in our lives. Sometimes they are of our own doing, but often they are pressed upon us. It is given that while we are in these temporal bodies, the fallen world will present challenges. What is important is how we handle these challenges. In the story before this verse, we find that Tobit and his people have been captured and exiled far away from their homeland where his precious Jerusalem was. For him, because he loved his God dearly, it was very important to follow the teachings of his forefathers and return to Jerusalem for the feast days. This was not easy. It was not convenient. It cost him much time and money. But for him, it was important to exercise His spiritual beliefs. Do we live this way today? Is our God important enough to make our way to church when it is inconvenient? Do we spend time with Him when we would rather sleep in or do our own thing? Are we willing to put Him first above everything else in our lives? Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!
WORK DONE BY GOD
Nehemiah 6:16
And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.
Personal Challenge
Do we live our lives in such a way that others look at the fruit that we produce and proclaim that God must have been working through us? We so often live our lives, even as we proclaim to be Christians, so far removed from God, that there is no evidence of Him working in our lives. I know that I am guilty of this. It is becoming more difficult to proclaim our God and His involvement in our lives because our society is moving so far away from God. But it is our responsibility to proclaim Him in both our words and our actions, even to the point of persecution. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!
BE PREPARED
Nehemiah 4:7-8
Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall in the sheltered areas, and I positioned the people by families with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember our God, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
Personal Challenge
The Boy Scout motto is, "Be prepared!". It is important for us to be prepared for the things in life that might come our way. Nehemiah did this for his people as he prepared them for battle. But it is much more important to make sure that we look to God for our ultimate preparation and guidance for every aspect of our lives. He is the One who will carry us through every battle in our lives. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!
