Good morning, brothers and sisters.
Our verse for today comes from Acts 4:36-37, “And Joses…a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”
Chances are there is something about you that doesn’t quite fit. You have a habit or a hobby or a secret that would come as a surprise to others were they to find out. For many of us, that moment of shock used to be when we found out that someone we’d never expect had a tattoo. They were reserved for weathered men of the military and the leather-adorned biker. But now, it’s almost more surprising to discover that a person doesn’t have a tattoo than that they have one. As a kid, I remember always having an internal reaction whenever I learned that some boy or girl in my class was adopted. Later on, it might be the news that someone had interracial parents or was born to an unwed mom that would amaze me. I simply didn’t cross paths with this side of life while growing up.
Now, some of these traits go far in defining who a person is. Even the ones that were taken up by choice, like a tattoo or a secret point of vanity, can do much in shaping one’s image. But where do they stack up in light of your identity in Christ? More specifically, how much of yourself do you need to hold on to while your Lord is making claims to all that you are and have? If there was anything surprising in the Jewish circles of the Bible it was for a Levite to own property. When God established the tribes, the Levites were forbidden to own land, for God gave them an inheritance through the offerings of the people. Theirs was a life of service to God which would be blessed by His supplying all they needed both now and in the future.
Joses, a Levite but not of Israel, owned land on his home island of Cyprus, some 200 or more miles from Jerusalem. But when He put His trust in Jesus and decided to become a part of His newborn church, Barnabas (as the apostles called him) sold that unique bit of individuality and gave the proceeds over to the apostles. To be sure he had some plans for that tract near the coast or in the hills of Cyprus. But when he turned over his heart to Christ, he also gave him his hobby and his dreams. He was quite content to be one of the followers rather than the Levite from Cyprus who owned land. If you’re the Christian who has this or the Christian who does that, maybe it’s time to be just the Christian.
As we seek Him today, think about how much your identity affects your way of living and being, and how much your living affects your identity.
Have a grand Monday.
#4 Rich Holt
Dad of Ripken, Koy, TrishaJean, Samantha, Kakie Holiday and Raleigh
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.
