Dear Reader,

The world system sees the talents, gifts, and inheritances of the people of God and wants it for themselves. They want to make themselves greater and they do not care about what belongs to God and His people. So, we must take care.

Let’s consider the people of Israel in Numbers 36. Remember the blog about the 5 daughters who had no husband, father, or brother to inherit the land that should rightfully be theirs Numbers 27? Moses brought the matter before the Lord and the Lord said they should receive a share of the land/inheritance and then the Lord declared for future generations that women, if left alone without husband, brother or father should receive an equal share.

Some within the clans of Israel saw a loophole. What if the women who receive the inheritance marry someone from another clan? What happens to the inheritance? Does it go with them and add to the other clan? That was what was brought before Moses for a ruling. The loophole gave an advantage whereas another clan can appropriate the land and inheritance of another just by wooing and marrying a woman from that other clan making themselves greater and the clan from which the woman came from, lesser.

But God put the responsibility upon the people involved, in this case the woman, to be wise and marry within her own community if the inheritance was important to her and she desired not to make her clan less than it should be.

Today, we have laws regarding inheritance, wills and such dealing with legacies and things passed tangibly from one generation to the next. But we have to be wise and prepare ahead of time (make a will) so that whatever we desire to stay within the family, stays within the family.  It is our responsibility to be wise regarding spiritual things as well.

2 Corinthians 6:14 mentions being unequally yoked.

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

The NASB translates it this way:

Do not be mismatched with unbelievers; for what do righteousness and lawlessness share together, or what does light have in common with darkness?

The loophole for believers regarding the stealing of inheritance or being taken advantage of is being unequally yoked. Core values about faith, life and what it means to be married, future and so on, can be the same while incidental things like food preferences and hobby interests, work and education are different. It would be boring to have every aspect of life be the same. In an equally yoked relationship, be it friend of spouse, the surface differences can be worked out if the core values are the same. The same is not true if the core values are different.

Amo 3:3 (NASB20) says: Do two people walk together unless they have agreed to meet?

Relationships can rise above the issues if the core values are the same because the people involved are dancing to the same tune and will eventually finish the dance (conversation, goal, project) together harmoniously (even if a toe or two gets stepped on unintentionally). Without the same values would be like two people trying to dance together to different beats. One dances a waltz while the partner is dancing the salsa. Someone is going to get hurt.

The core values of a believer in the marketplace leads to wonderful work ethics and talents because they are Spirit led and stable. This is attractive to those who are surrounded by the unpredictability of the world system. Advancement in relationships and responsibility naturally follows. Favor is upon the believer because of the gifts that they offer. It is a bit of a quandary for the unbeliever to know the boundaries.

Christianity as I have experienced it, teaches us to be “nice” like Jesus was “nice.” We are to be forgiving and loving. But not many teachers of the Christian faith teach how to be wise as serpents while being harmless as doves. Not many teachers instruct on having a backbone, being strong in the Lord as David was strong before the giant Goliath, destroying the works of the devil with the authority of Christ that is within us by the power of the Holy Spirit. David was also strong in faith as he respected order and placement while maintaining his integrity regarding Saul. And what about the time David and Jonathan took out the Philistine camp? King David was not a doormat. He knew what belonged to him, who he was and to Whom he belonged. He made incredible blunders, yes. His unequal union with Bathsheba ended in death of a child and separation from God. The spiritual life and closeness with God suffered. His agenda strayed to the temptations around him. But he also knew the forgiveness of God and embraced the relationship he had with Him. However, forgiveness did not obliterate the consequences of bad decisions. The responsibility to be wise was up to David to choose that which led to life.

Doormats tend to get stepped on, smeared with whatever is stepped on, and eventually thrown away.  Make no mistake, the world will take all they can from you as long as it is permitted. It is up to the believer in Christ to be wise and set the boundary, this far and no more, keeping the inheritance, talents, and gifts, intact for the next generation of believers to build upon.  Believers must keep in focus where their provision and protection come from.

This is a kingdom attitude. It takes kingdom faith that does not look to man for sustenance or provision, but rather seeks first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first. THEN all those things will be added unto you. Matthew 6:19-34 has SO MUCH TO SAY about living in the world but not of it. God’s opinion regarding our stewardship of the gifts, talents, and inheritance we receive from Him is clear throughout scripture. We need only to search it out. No one is going to do that for you.

 2Timothy 2:15 says: Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth. (AMP)

May the wisdom of Christ saturate your circumstances today. May supernatural direction be clear in every situation. May you find the boundaries fall in pleasant places as you may prosper and grow in your faith.  May the revelation of “Seeking the Kingdom and His Righteousness” become clear and presently applicable to the questions you have regarding relationships of all kinds, work, provision, and responsibilities.

It is God who promotes,

It is God who provides.

It is God who protects and gives the increase.

We were not created to strive. Through the power of the Holy Spirit within, we were created to thrive.

Grace and peace,

Anne