Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Productive Living: The best is yet to come

Bible Reading: Joshua 14: 6 - 15.


Key verse 12b

It may be that the Lord will be with me and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said.

DEVOTION

Joshua 14:6-15 presents Caleb as a strong example of productive living. At age forty he was assigned along with others to evaluate a region that held potential to become home to his community. Caleb trusted in God’s promise. Others saw only enemies and fortified cities in that region. Moses realized that Caleb followed the Lord wholeheartedly and promised that the land Caleb had walked on would become his inheritance.
Forty-five years later, at age eighty-five, Caleb does not ask for an easier assignment. He asks for the same hill country, Hebron, that still presented adversities. His courage comes not from self-confidence, but from confidence in the Lord who had preserved and strengthened him. Caleb shows us that age, delay, and difficulty do not cancel God’s plan and purpose.
The theme “Productive Living: The Best Is Yet to Come” points us to a hopeful truth: God is still working beyond what we can see or imagine. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us that God’s plans give hope and a future. Matthew 25:14-30 teaches us to faithfully use what God has placed in our hands—our talents, gifts, time, opportunities, and responsibilities, instead of hiding them in fear. These passages show us that productive living is not passive waiting. It is faithful action while trusting God’s timing and honoring God by using what we have.
Like Caleb, we are called to move forward with courage, patience, and purpose. The best is yet to come because our future rests in the hands of a faithful God.

PRAYER

: Lord, I pray for many things. Help me wait with faith for your answers, act with courage, and use what You give me for Your purpose.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Am I waiting for answers to prayers? Are my prayers for wants or needs? Do I trust God wholeheartedly? Do I use my gifts faithfully? Am I ready to accept God’s will?

Dr. Mathew T. Thomas (Dr. T.)
Mar Thoma Church of Greater Washington. 

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