Stewards of His Gifts

It is the Lord's blessing that brings wealth,
and no effort can substitute for it.
- Proverbs 10:22 -

The Dead Sea can be found deep in the Jordan Valley. Many ancient texts and writings were discovered in the caves around and in it, including the famous Dead Sea Scrolls. The scrolls are said to contain some of the only known surviving copies of some biblical documents. Another sea that has a strong relationship to the Christian bible is the Red Sea. In Exodus, we read how Moses led the Israelite from the Egyptians across the parted Red Sea and into safety.

Although salty like the sea, the Dead Sea and Red Sea are both inland bodies of water and not part of the ocean, so by definition, are actually lakes. These two lakes have striking differences:

• The Dead Sea, as the name connotes, does not support marine life. Water supplied by the Jordan River with all the nutrients get deposited there. It has no way out and only evaporation maintains its level. This has prevented fish and plants from living in it because the salt concentration just keeps on growing.
  
• The Red Sea on the other hand, is very alive. It is the habitat of over 1,000 animal species and 200 soft and hard corals. The main reason for the better development of marine life is the efficient water circulation pattern. The Red Sea water mass exchanges its water with the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean via the Gulf of Aden.

Our challenge: Shall we remain oblivious to the needs of others and remain lifeless like the Dead Sea?... or are we willing, like the Red Sea, to share what we have been blessed with and be alive once more?

- no Angel -