By Jeff Roman
I know the calendar says April 1 but I missed getting a March thought in. Just don’t know where the time goes. I know I started it a couple of times and how or why it did not get finished I’m not sure. What we want to take a look at today is “ loyalty.” I just don’t see much of it left in the world anymore. There's to much going on that makes everybody think that its about the almighty dollar or just about themselves. How they can save a few cents or how some way or shape or form they’re going to be inconvenienced by something.
It’s this way in the outdoor world too! Guys that think they have an extra dollar up there schmoozing around trying to get the best deal on a new boat. A fully rigged tournament boat, trying to get somebody to sponsor them for recreational fishing. I see guys come and go every year inside and outside of new boats that they’ve never been in before and being sponsored by them.( and by being sponsored I mean getting a few trinkets or markdown or some other kind of hand out. They think it’s a big deal because they can say they’re being “sponsored”) If they have never been in that boat before how do they tell somebody else that is the best boat they’ve ever had in their entire life? Makes no sense to me. I guess they just have to be a smooth talker (part con man) somehow convince somebody to give them a sponsorship.
Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse nine - I know that Yahweh your God is God, the faithful God who keeps his gracious covenant loyalty for thousands of generations with those who love him and keep his commands.
We as outdoorsman or anyone else for that matter can’t we see that loyalty should be something. That’s supporting those who have supported you should mean something. That giving back where you can should mean something.! That store you frequented for many years but now there’s a bigger better one. It’s time to Move on?
Where is our loyalty.?
From the fishing poles you buy to the bass boat that you purchased to the groceries you put on the table at the end of the evening. Where does your loyalty lie???
You do know who the most loyalist is?
It is God. God knows the meaning of the word loyal. Because he invented it.
In two Timothy chapter 2 verse 13 - if we are unfaithful he remains faithful for he cannot deny who he is.
Laminations chapter 3 verse 22. We are still alive because the Lord’s faithful love never ends.
One John chapter 3 verse 24 whoever keeps his commandments abides in God and God in him. God is wise, perfect, unchanging, full of wisdom, God is holy and good, loving, just, merciful, compassionate, kind and yes LOYAL!!
So how do we pay back loyalty to God? How do we make ourselves loyal to him like he is loyal to us?
First we have to stand fast and be true in our believe in him we have to believe in all of his great qualities and see how they work out in our lives.
Second: don’t become a part of this world. Wow this is important! This is where the whole world has gotten screwed up. Everybody wants to keep up with the Joneses. (sorry if your name is actually Jones) do not become like the world,become what God wants you to become in this world.
Third: we want to make right decisions and to make them all the time. Knowing God is loyal to us makes the job easier. And knowing He is there to help us in any situation. Make the right choice at the right time all the time.
Fourth: learning and practice God’s word. Put yourself in a place, set aside time, do what you need to do to learn God’s word. Spend it in the Bible, in your devotionals, in small groups, at church, wherever it needs to be and do it as often as you can. Its not only for Sundays. And then of course there is prayer. Spend as much time praying as possible. Prayer is your relationship with God.
And Fifth: is love your neighbor as God has told you to do. God shows us His loyalty so we need to show our loyalty to others. By Him helping us we need to be helping others.
Matthew chapter 25 verse 40 Jesus said," I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me. “ Yes it matters very much to God that we love our neighbors.
So let’s go out there today and show our loyalty. Show your loyalty in everything you do in life. And most of all show your loyalty to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And maybe someday He’ll show His loyalty to us by letting us enter into the gates of heaven !
