Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net
-----Original Message-----
From: Lynn Smith <lsmith824@hotmail.com>
Sent: Mon, 7 Apr 2008 18:59:18 -0400
To: <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Subject: Morning Manna (Apr. 8); BP: Mt. 6:19-34; RBTTY: Lk. 9:37-62; I Sam.
DEAR FELLOW PILGRIM:
On Apr. 12-May 15 I'll be on a deployment with the Air National Guard to our military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany. This is where our wounded soldiers from Afghanistan and Iraq are brought. While I'm gone, my brother, Lynn, will be sending out the "Morning Manna" for me, which I've sent to him ahead of time. So, we've set up this account for that purpose and are checking it out beforehand to insure it's working properly. I pray you'll continue to be blessed by the MM while I'm gone and will pray for me while I'm there. Thank you. God bless you.
In Jesus' Precious Love,
Bro. Tom
April 8 “Whose Slave Am I?”
“No man can serve two masters—for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
Matthew 6:24
Until we realize this and choose, we’ll always be blinded and bound.
A slave.
Pictures of a shackled, emaciated “under-rower” in a ship, with a patrolling “taskmaster” crying “Row! Row!” and cracking his whip nearby, likely come to mind at the mere mention of these words. Or, we envision someone working hard, long hours in a field. . .the hot sun beating down on his back. . .as the “Massah” sits in the shade, sipping on tea or lemonade.
But, in reality, today’s Manna reminds us that everyone of us is a “slave” to something or someone. And, until we realize this and decide who our “master” will be, we’ll continue to be enslaved, whether we want to be or not.
Now, again, “masters” come in a lot of shapes and sizes. Some of them are “things” like diamonds and rubies. . .stocks and bonds. . .houses, cars and land. Others look like whiskey bottles, beer cans and syringes, over which we think we have control—but, in reality, we’re enslaved to them.
And, then there are those “masters” in human form: That boss who’s a tyrant in the office and whose tirades both intimidate and infuriate us. Or, it’s a spouse, who’s manipulative or abusive. . .a child, whose temper-tantrums make us want to pull out our hair. . .or parent who continually interferes in our business.
Yes, “masters” and “slavery” come in a lot of forms. But, in the end, they’re all the same—particularly when we willingly (or even resentfully) give in to them. Sadly, too often the real “master” is “sin/self,” not satan and his forces of evil. Assuredly, he’s our #1 “external enemy” (along with the world/ “mammon”), but our worst “enemy” is US and our “lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life” (I Jn. 2:16).
Only Christ can free us from that which enslaves us. Until we allow Him to be “Lord of all” and “lead captivity captive” (Eph. 4:8b), we’ll continually be bound and enslaved in our “strongholds of sin” (II Cor. 10:3-5).
In days of old the conquering king would chain his new slaves to his chariot and parade them through the streets when he returned home from war. Even now we can see them being dragged through the streets in humiliation and shame.
But, when we decide who’ll be “master” of our lives and whose “slave” we’ll be—willingly chaining ourselves to Jesus’ chariot—we’ll always love the wrong things and hate the wrong One. May today be the day we sing, “All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give.” Help us, dear Lord, today to love you with all of our hearts.
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