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Know the state of your flocks and put your heart into caring for your herds. — Proverbs 27:23 NLT

Timeless Word of God

I read this verse on a cold morning in December. Cold for South Carolina anyway. When I read the Old Testament, I try and read it in two ways. Sort of through two lenses. On one hand, I consider that these words were written to a specific people a long time ago. Most often, the people of Israel long before my time. I think about what the words would mean to them at that time in their circumstances. 

On the other hand, the word of God is timeless. In 2 Timothy, Paul said:

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. — 2 Timothy 3:16 NLT

He was speaking to the people of his time, hundreds of years after the Old Testament was written but I believe, to us as well. So, I try to read both Old and New Testaments and think about what does any particular verse mean for me today? I know it can help me know what is right to do, as well as what is wrong.

Our Flocks and Herds of Today

Reading this proverb at first it might sound like the advice given is strictly for people of the past who were farmers and herders. Yet, consider this. Those flocks and herds were the Israelites’ wealth. These were their resources for food, clothing, and money. It was a large part of their security. Not a lot of us have flocks or herds anymore, but we do have our own particular resources today, like homes, possessions, clothes, bank accounts, cars, and so on. I think the Bible is telling us that we are still called to “know their state” and “put our hearts into caring for them.” Not that these things should be the focus of our lives, or that we should be spending inordinate amounts of time polishing the car or trimming every corner of the lawn, but that we are to be responsible stewards of these resources we have been given. We should not waste them or let them fall into disrepair and uselessness.

As I prayed about this verse this morning a few things of a mundane nature came to mind. One was that maintenance around the house like replacing wood rot or weeding or installing gutter guards is not a waste of time or a diversion before the Lord. He said He wants us to care for the resources we are given. We should respect these gifts and handle them with care, especially with an eye to the future and being prepared for whatever may come by being good stewards of what we have today. 

The next thing that the Spirit led me to realize was that it was indeed a cold morning. Very cold for South Carolina. Maybe in the forties. Having moved down here from the north, I have extra warm clothes that I don’t wear unless I make an effort to keep them in the rotation. These are gifts from God as are all my possessions. Meanwhile, I was sure there were people out there who needed warm clothes that morning! After breakfast, I went to a local food bank and clothing place to donate them. I mentioned it to my wife, and she wanted to come and do the same thing.

So, it made me feel better to know that to God, maintenance of our everyday things is not a waste of our precious time, but a way we can “care for our herds” and honor Him by doing so, both by taking good care of what we are given and sharing it as we see needs around us.

Bob Krech

Bob Krech is a writer and educational consultant. A former teacher, supervisor, and curriculum developer, he is author of many professional books for teachers as well as two national award-winning children’s books. He writes a weekly blog on math teaching as well as one on miracles. He and his wife, Karen live in Hilton Head, South Carolina. They have two grown children; Andrew and Faith. His latest book is A Little Faith: A Father’s Miracle Story of Faith, Hope, Love, and a Micro Preemie (Belief Books, 2020). You can learn more at https://www.beliefbooks.com

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