Daily Huddle - Mon Sep 7, 2020 Steward Well

Love you all, praying for you.

God prompting me this morning with a question.  What do you steward?  A steward is simply – a manager of another’s possessions.  Oikonomos - <oy – kon – om ’- os>  A house distributor, a manager, an overseer, a fiscal agent.  From oykos – a dwelling (household) and nomos – to parcel out.  A steward is an employee who cares for, tends to, and parcels out or distributes the resources of another according to his will and wishes.  God says, "Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful."  What is faithful? – trustworthy.  To rely on, have confidence in.  There is a distinct difference between a steward and an owner.  The owner is the one who has title of the possessions.  The steward works for him, carries out his wishes, not their own.   So what do you steward?  Time, Thoughts, Money, Possessions, Relationships (especially marriage and children), work and career, and ministry.  Paul said – consider us ministers of Christ – (subordinates, under-oarsmen) and stewards (distributors) of the mysteries (the secrets) of God.  There are two parts of life – what you steward and what you build.  Building is what you go out and do.  What God has assigned you to go and build.  Stewarding is what you care for at home, what He has assigned to you.  God’s word says – first get your fields in order – then build your house.  God was saying, first get a job, make sure your fields are well cared for, that your business is in order that your business is doing well, before you build a house.  But this counsel from God is for that season.  What happens when that season is over.  Before you build your house, get your fields in order, but after you build your house – keep your house in order.  Otherwise you will be like the sluggard whose house is falling apart, as well as his fields.  The key to stewarding –  is knowing what you are stewarding, knowing what the Owner wants to do with it, and at what time.  Since we are just distributors, not owners – our time, our thoughts, our money, our possessions really belong to Him.  Husbands love your wives, that’s God’s daughter that He’s entrusted to you.  Even your children are not yours, they belong to God – He is entrusting you to fill them with His Word, to train them up to know Him, to love His Word, to hear His voice and to follow His ways – to obey His Word – and fulfill His purpose for them.  He’s entrusting that to you.  They will do what you do, they will live like you live.  Nehemiah 7:2 – I gave my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.  This is what happens to faithful stewards, if you’re faithful with the palace, you’ll be entrusted with the city.  If you’re faithful at home, you’ll be given more to be faithful with.  That’s why that servant heard, “Well done, good and faithful servant, you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord." What’s the key to being a faithful steward.  1st – know what you are stewarding (it’s not yours, it’s His)  2nd – Get His will, and His instructions for what you are stewarding.  3rd  Give an account – it starts with time, and money.  Stewardship takes time.  You need to know what the owner wants done, and what times He wants you to do it.  If you get caught up with other things instead of the regular things.  The regular things remain undone, and the things you were doing don’t get done either.  Praying that PiVAT, and especially PiVAT weekly – (where you hear what God wants you to do when) – are the first steps in your stewarding.  It’s where God will tell you and remind you, and establish your rhythm so you will succeed at the stewarding and the building.  The maintaining and the going out and doing.  It’s what fearing God means, it’s how you become faithful, trustworthy, dependable, established. Praying that your house is faithful (both relationships, possessions, and resources, that you give an account of time thoughts and money, praying that your job is faithful and your ministry is faithful, what God wants you to steward, and distribute of His, and what God wants you to build, so His glory increases, so your blessing increases, and your joy increases – which always happens when you steward well. 

Love you all,
dad