Stewards Of His Grace

“As every man hath received the gift,
even so minister the same one to another,
as good stewards of the manifold grace of God”
1 Peter 4:10

Stewards Of His Grace

“And Joseph nourished* his father, and his brethren,
and all his father’s household, with bread…”
Genesis 47:12

There is a deep and intrinsic joy in a servant of God’s heart to nourish and care for the people of God. It is more than an occupation or a position; it is the nature of God Himself.

To live in His Spirit, to touch His overwhelming Love, brings us to the same desire and purpose: to nourish, care for, and feed His people with the substance of Christ. He is ever drawing us, breaking us from our proclivities and carnal reasonings, that we may nourish all who would receive of His provisions. It is the carnal, the unbroken, and the obstinate who are not mindful of the ONE BODY of Christ.

The need to nourish others arises from our partaking of Him. There is nothing resident in human nature aside from selfish intentions. the need for recognition, aspirations of grandeur, and a desire to draw people to ourselves. These things are the hindrances to the flow of His nourishment and wonder to the Body of Christ.

“And the Lord said, Who then is the faithful and wise steward whom the Lord will set over his house servants, to give the portion of food in season? Blessed is that slave when his Lord comes and will find him so doing.”
Luke 12:42-43

The true “stewards” of God show no partiality in their service to the people of God. They live unto the Father to seek His honor and to be found faithful to His House (“whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end”; Hebrews 3:6).

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17

The path to becoming a true steward in God’s House requires a desire for the pure ministration of the Word. That Living Word is sharper than any two-edged sword which alone can pierce our hearts and delineate in us that which is of the soul and that which is of the Spirit. The carnal, soulish, and the unbroken cannot receive His reproof and correction and will live unconvicted and unmoved to nourish the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:14).

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart”
Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)

For us to live by and IN His Word must culminate in our being freed from the soulish tendencies of self. There is a cleansing (purging KJV) required for us to become a “vessel of honor” useful to the MASTER OF THE HOUSE.

“Then if anyone purifies himself from these, he will be a vessel to honor, having been sanctified and made useful to the Master, having been prepared to every good work.“
1 Timothy 2:21

May we become stewards of His grace that we may find in Him the flow to nourish His household with the bread of Christ.

* Note In the Ancient Hebrew Pictographs in which the account of Joseph was originally written the word translated “nourish” is comprised of four pictographs: one being the bent palm followed by the shepherd staff:

“The (first) pictograph is a picture of the bent palm: representing the bending or subduing of the will, the (second) is a picture of a shepherd staff or yoke: Combined these mean “tame for the yoke“. An animal or land that is tamed has been worked and is complete and ready for use.”
– Ancient Hebrew Pictographs by Jeff A. Benner

“The (third) pictograph is a picture of an ox: The (fourth) is a picture of two crossed sticks used to make a sign or mark: “Combined these pictures represent “an ox moving toward a mark”. When plowing a field with oxen, the plowman drives the oxen toward a distant mark in order to keep the furrow straight. A traveler arrives at his destination by following a mark. The traveling toward a mark, destination or person. The arrival of one to the mark. A “you” is an individual who has arrived to a “me”. The coming toward a mark. A standard, or flag, with the family mark hangs as a sign. An agreement or covenant by two where a sign or mark of the agreement is made as a reminder to both parties. (eng: at – a moving at something)”
– Ancient Hebrew Pictographs by Jeff A. Benner (I would recommend this book to anyone)

Our ability to nourish His people requires a “subdued will”; as Paul declared: “a servant of Jesus Christ”. While the mark represents a pursuit of accomplishing God’s purposes, the Tav is an emblem of the cross depicting a life of discipleship unto HIM! (The Cross itself being an integral pictograph of the Hebrew Alphabet prophetical announcing the “of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8)!

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.”
Philippians 3:14-15

The flow of His nourishment to the Body of Christ through each of us will be proportional to the depth of His breakings and corrections whereby we become partakers of His Heart.

“but I am among you
as he that serveth…”
Luke 22:27

Who is sufficient for such things?

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.”
John 15:4

Related Post: The Master’s Use

†

May He not say of us:

“…I travail not, nor bring forth children,
neither do I nourish up young men,
nor bring up virgins.”
Isaiah 23:4

Brian Troxel