1 Chronicles 13:10

 

Dying for Lack of Knowledge

A business friend of mine once confessed that he did not like to read. He found it a difficult discipline. I replied, "If you do not commit yourself to knowing what is in God's Word and following it, you will fail to know and experience God. God's Word is life to our souls. It provides knowledge that leads to life." The prophet Hosea tells us, "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as My priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children" (Hos.4:6). God has given us His Word that has specific laws and principles that must be followed if we expect His blessing. King David forgot to follow one of those laws related to the ark. "...But they must not touch the holy things or they will die..." (Num.4:15). When they were transporting the ark, Uzzah innocently reached to steady the ark but was immediately stricken dead when his hands touched the ark of God. Did David know this law or did he simply forget? Did Uzzah know this law? If so, did he really believe it? David thought it was okay to carry the ark the way Uzzah did. A man lost his life for his presumption. Many businesspeople I know take God's Word lightly. They believe they can violate His Word without consequence. This is not true; the Lord stands by to uphold His Word. It can be life, or it can bring death. When God provides instructions, we need to follow them. Knowing this about God brings a healthy fear of the Lord. "David was afraid of God that day and asked, 'How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?' " (1Chron.13:12) We must all have a fearful respect of God's Word. For truly, it is life or death. Do you take God's Word seriously? Is it life or death for you? Do you feed upon His Word daily so that you might know Him and know His precepts? Feed upon this knowledge and be blessed of God.

 

Presumption versus Faith

A life of faith often requires us to leave God's work alone.  Responding to a need out of a desire to help move a vision along can be the greatest challenge for a Christian entrepreneur.  There is a fine line between presumption and faith. Uzzah learned that presumption could cost you your life.  He was part of the crew that was to move the ark with the help of a team of oxen. When the way became rough, Uzzah responded in a natural way.  He grabbed the ark to steady it.  When he did he was immediately struck down.  God said it was forbidden to touch the ark.  King David mourned the death of his servant and argued with God about this loss. Walking with God requires sensitivity to balancing our God-given talents and operating in the power of the Holy Spirit in and through our business life.  A mentor once told me, "You almost have to hold back your natural gifting to ensure that God is the one who is guiding you. If not, you will not know if it is through your skill versus His hand that you are accomplishing the work."  I find this the most challenging aspect of walking with God. You can only grow in your understanding of this balance by being accountable to others in the process.  By having other committed Christians walking close to you, they become the safety net to keep you from presumption and the deceit of the heart.  God also placed Godly spouses there to help us in this area.