Ezekiel 47:14, 23 “You are to divide it equally among them. Because I swore with uplifted hand to give it to your forefathers, this land will become your inheritance. In whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his inheritance,” declares the Sovereign LORD.

These two verses taken together say something really powerful. Verse 14 is a confirmation that what God promises, He will do. The Jews had received the Promised Land under Joshua, but they had lost it due to their unfaithfulness. Here, in exile they are being promised that it will be returned to them. How precious that land must have seemed to them, and how precious it is to the people of Israel today! However, in Verse 23 they are told that them must share that land, their precious inheritance, with the Gentiles living among them. That probably got a reaction! The point is, we aren’t to grasp what God gives us as though it were our exclusive possession, we are to hold it with open hands, to share it as God directs. God’s supply never runs short! As much as we acknowledge that in our minds, we have a hard time grasping it emotionally. If God directs us to give something away, we can be absolutely assured that He will replace it with something as good or better. I’m reminded of the story I got by email recently of the father who asked his daughter to give up her treasured string of plastic pearls. Only when she did so did he give her the string of real pearls he had gotten for her. That story may well be fiction, but the principle is true. The more tightly we hang onto things, the less real benefit we get from them. Rather than being our possessions, they become our chains.

This is a lesson I have learned slowly, and am still learning. Looking for something in the attic yesterday I came across all sorts of things I had forgotten we had, and some of them have gotten ruined from disuse. That benefits no one! Amassing things just for the sake of having them benefits no one. This applies in the spiritual realm as well. Even the Gospel itself means little until it is shared. Until it is shared, it is salvation for one individual, but when it is shared, it is salvation for all in the whole world who will believe. It’s certainly not like we could lose our salvation by sharing it! Likewise, spiritual gifts aren’t to benefit the recipient so much as they are to bless those with whom he interacts. Paul tells us to seek spiritual gifts, (1 Corinthians 14:1) but that’s not as “merit badges” or personal trophies; spiritual gifts are to be used to build up the Body of Christ. I need to communicate all that the Lord has poured out on me, so that those who receive from the Lord through me may in turn pour it out on others, for the glory of God.

Father, thank You for this strong reminder. If you hadn’t already given me Sunday’s message, this would really preach! Guide in when and how I am to share this truth, and all the other things You speak to me, so that Your Word may have its full intended effect, even as You promised, (Isaiah 55:10-11) for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!