Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

Prov 20:6 “Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, But who can find a faithful man?”

Fizzle Out! Have you ever heard that expression? What might you picture if you heard that expression? One of the definitions for fizzle is “A failure or aborted effort.” When I think of this term, I think of people that claimed to be excited about something or make great a commitment to something only to later “fizzle out.” I’ve seen many a person claim their faithfulness and commitment to many things only to soon “fizzle out.” I’ve seen people fizzle out of their marriages, fizzle out of the good intentions of their parenting efforts, fizzle out of their plans to trim down or get in shape, fizzle out of their commitments to things that they said, “God had told them to do.” That’s why today’s Fresh Manna verse says that many people will proclaim all the great and wonderful things they can or are going to do, but I always wonder who will still be there doing what they started out to do in the end?

I have always had great admiration for people who are faithful and stick to and finish what they start out to do. This country was founded by faithful pioneers who had a vision of great things that could be and were faithful to that vision. Pioneers and people faithful to a cause usually make innumerable unseen sacrifices of their own time and resources for the good of others – present and future. We are blessed to be living in a land that was pioneered with tremendous sacrifice by the faithful so that we may experience the prosperity and freedom that we have today.

Faithful people are often working quietly and diligently behind the scenes without much glory or fanfare. These kinds of people aren’t driven by that. They are driven by inward vision and passion to a cause. They are the salt of the earth. They build things now for the good of others later. Few people understand the sacrifices they make of their personal and family time to help others. They have the same demands on their life that everyone else has and yet, they selflessly let go of some of their personal time and resources for the well being of others. People like this are the gold and precious stones of the earth. They are the salt that brings mankind its flavor. They are God’s living and breathing blessings manifest in this earth to make our lives better.

I am surrounded by people like this at our church. The “faithful ones.” People that have been faithfully serving others out of their heart and unto the Lord for 10, 15, and even 20 years. They consider it a part of their destiny and God-given purpose. What they do is a hugely significant part in God’s wonderful scheme of things. They are the polar opposite of the entitlement whiners who want much for nothing that make up too much of today’s society.

The faithful are a huge part of what makes my life rich. They don’t know what “fizzle out” means. They live a life of faithfulness. I hope you notice the faithful that touch you and your family’s lives and let them know that you’ve noticed. As I said, they don’t live for fanfare but a simply sincere thank you fills their tank to go on and on!

Acts 20:35 (NLT) “And I have been a constant example of how you can help the poor by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt

Published by Pastor Tim Burt
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