Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

It’s a dud! Have you ever heard that expression? What picture comes to your mind? For me, when I was a teenager, it was the firecracker that never went off.  One of the definitions for dud is: a thing that fails to work properly or is otherwise unsatisfactory or worthless, a failure or aborted effort. We used to call firecrackers that fizzled out, duds.

When I think of this term, I sometimes think of people who claimed to be excited about something or make great  statements of commitment—This is awesome! I’m all in!—only to later fizzle out. They turned out to be a dud!  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 commitment to live for and serve the Lord, out of their marriages, out of their plans to eat better or trim down or get in shape, and fizzle out of their commitments to better themselves. And even after some of those people said, God told me to do this!

It was because Jesus was faithful to His calling, despite the price it cost Him, that we are who we are and have what we have from Him today.  2 Timothy 2:13 (ESV) says, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful…”  God says many people will proclaim all the great and wonderful things they’ve done or are going to do. Proverbs 20:6 (NKJV) says, “Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, But who can find a faithful man?” I always wonder who will still be there doing what they started out to do until it’s completion. Some of those things are short term and others, God calls us to be faithful to for life.

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 great vision of things that could be. They were intensely faithful to that vision. Pioneers and people faithful to a cause usually make innumerable unseen sacrifices of their own time and resources for the future good of others. The world actually has many of those people living in it at all times.  

People like this are the definition of faithful. They  often work quietly and diligently behind the scenes without glory or fanfare. You many notice them at church or volunteer organizations. They may be among you in the workplace. They aren’t driven by the paycheck or pat on the back. Their faithfulness is unto the Lord! They are driven by an inward vision and passion to a cause or purpose, or simply to be faithful to God. People like this build things now and for the good of others later. Few people notice or take time to understand the sacrifices the faithful make of their personal time. They have the same demands on their lives that everyone else has and yet, they selflessly sacrifice enormous amounts of their personal time and resources for the well-being of others. People like this are the salt, light and precious stones of the earth. They are the salt that brings mankind its flavor. They are God’s light, living and breathing blessings manifest in this earth to make our lives better.

I’ve been surrounded by people like this at church and in other places all my Christian life.  I say Christian life because I never noticed this people until then. I’ve seen people who faithfully serve others, out of their heart and unto the Lord for 15, 20, and even 30 years. They consider it a part of their destiny and God-given purpose. What they do is hugely significant in God’s wonderful scheme of things.

The faithful know something others don’t. They know that their faithfulness has made their own life rich in blessing. They don’t know what fizzle out or being a dud means. They live a life of faithfulness.

I hope you notice the faithful that touch you and your family’s lives. Let me warn you, they are often almost invisible. They go about being a blessing without drawing any attention to themselves. You’d have to take time to think about who they are! If you do, the greatest payback you could ever give them is to create a moment to let them know that you’ve noticed and are so thankful for their faithfulness and how they’ve blessed your life. It will bless them immensely and energize them even more. And while you’re looking to see who these people are in your life, stop and ask yourself—Are you are faithful or a dud? Let them encourage and inspire you to faithfulness!

Colossians 1:2 (NLT) “We are writing to God’s holy people… who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. May God our Father give you grace and peace”

In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt

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