2010
Wednesday
22
September
Daily Devotional
Do What You Have The Power To Do
By Bishop Vashti McKenzie
This week's topic: The Importance Of Giving
We would all like to do some good during the time God grants us life. Yet, some who could do good are unsure about when to do good, how long to do the good thing, when do you stop doing good or to whom the doing good is extended.
The Bible encourages us to give to all who ask. But suppose you have nothing to give? The Bible tells us about serving others through the ministry of hospitality because we may be entertaining angels unaware. What about all the “unangel-like” personalities who show up in between? The Bible encourages us to return good for evil but sometimes people get tired of being taken advantage of and returning good is the last thing on their minds.
If we have two coats give one away. You did and now there are twenty others hoping you’ll do the same for them. You’ve given your offering and tithes and now someone is asking you to stretch to do even more.
You are not insensitive to the needs of those around them. You have not forgotten what compassion feels like or how compassion compels you to give to those in need and serve the Lord with gladness at the same time. You may not be sure of the when and how of your response.
There is Biblical encouragement and examples. There is also a sea of role models from the pages of the Holy Scripture and living in the 21st century. After all wasn’t it written in the gospel of Mark that it was Jesus who went around doing good.
We’d all like to do some good during the time God grants us life. The book of Proverbs offers some help. Proverbs is the practical side of God’s commands. It is a “How-to guide” about how people are to behave and how things work written by someone who has done that and been there. It is wisdom by experience that lines up with God’s instructions on how to live.
1. Your own soul is nourished when you are kind; it is destroyed when you are cruel. (Proverbs 11: 17) It is a privilege to be a conduit for God’s love towards someone else. The experience may bring calm, peace and some feel-good feelings. This may help answer the question, "What’s in it for me?" The refreshing of your own soul.
2. The laborer’s appetite works for him; his hunger drives him on. (Proverbs 16:26) Hunger or the possibility of hunger may help someone develop the skills to take responsibility for their own lives. When their pay is docked because they keep coming to work late, hunger may motivate them to be on time. When they lose the job because they were not productive, hunger may motivate them to do better next time. When you say no after they have borrowed from you too many times because they spend too much on wants and come to you to fund their needs, hunger may motivate them towards financial discipline. This may help answer the question of how often do I do good. It may also help you shape the kind of good you do. A food pantry, community garden, job fair, employment opportunities and training, a shelter, or a support group are all different ways to meet a hunger need.
3. Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. (Proverbs 3:27) If you have the means to respond, do not withhold good from those who are in need. If you have it to give, give. God is not asking you to do what you cannot do or give what you do not have to give. If you have the power to act yourself or you can influence others to provide service, by all means get the job done.
I have discovered that if you have the desire to do good, to serve or to give, God will empower you to act or provide you with the resources to act. Do what you have the power to do, the Lord being your helper!
Scripture Of The Day: “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.” - Proverbs 3:27 (NIV)
Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie is the presiding bishop of the 13th Episcopal District of the AME, and serves as a guiding example for women and church leaders throughout the country. For more on Bishop McKenzie, visit http://www.13thame.com or hear her messages daily at http://www.thisisyourwakeupcallonline.com.…
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The Sun Stands Still
The Sun Stands Still
1 Now Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and totally destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and were living near them. 2 He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters. 3 So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon. 4 “Come up and help me attack Gibeon,” he said, “because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”
5 Then the five kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon—joined forces. They moved up with all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it.
6 The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us.”
7 So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. 8 The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.”
9 After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. 10 The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great victory at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. 11 As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the Lord hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky, and more of them died from the hailstones than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.
12 On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel:
“O sun, stand still over Gibeon,
O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 So the sun stood still,
and the moon stopped,
till the nation avenged itself on its enemies,as it is written in the Book of Jashar.
The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a man. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!
15 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.
Five Amorite Kings Killed
16 Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. 17 When Joshua was told that the five kings had been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah, 18 he said, “Roll large rocks up to the mouth of the cave, and post some men there to guard it. 19 But don't stop! Pursue your enemies, attack them from the rear and don't let them reach their cities, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand.”
20 So Joshua and the Israelites destroyed them completely—almost to a man—but the few who were left reached their fortified cities. 21 The whole army then returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one uttered a word against the Israelites.
22 Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.” 23 So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. 24 When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and placed their feet on their necks.
25 Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.” 26 Then Joshua struck and killed the kings and hung them on five trees, and they were left hanging on the trees until evening.
27 At sunset Joshua gave the order and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had been hiding. At the mouth of the cave they placed large rocks, which are there to this day.
28 That day Joshua took Makkedah. He put the city and its king to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivors. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
Southern Cities Conquered
29 Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and attacked it. 30 The Lord also gave that city and its king into Israel's hand. The city and everyone in it Joshua put to the sword. He left no survivors there. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
31 Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish; he took up positions against it and attacked it. 32 The Lord handed Lachish over to Israel, and Joshua took it on the second day. The city and everyone in it he put to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah. 33 Meanwhile, Horam king of Gezer had come up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his army—until no survivors were left.
34 Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Lachish to Eglon; they took up positions against it and attacked it. 35 They captured it that same day and put it to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it, just as they had done to Lachish.
36 Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and attacked it. 37 They took the city and put it to the sword, together with its king, its villages and everyone in it. They left no survivors. Just as at Eglon, they totally destroyed it and everyone in it.
38 Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned around and attacked Debir. 39 They took the city, its king and its villages, and put them to the sword. Everyone in it they totally destroyed. They left no survivors. They did to Debir and its king as they had done to Libnah and its king and to Hebron.
40 So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings. He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded. 41 Joshua subdued them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon. 42 All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
43 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.
1 Now Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and totally destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and were living near them. 2 He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters. 3 So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon. 4 “Come up and help me attack Gibeon,” he said, “because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”
5 Then the five kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon—joined forces. They moved up with all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it.
6 The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us.”
7 So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. 8 The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.”
9 After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. 10 The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great victory at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. 11 As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the Lord hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky, and more of them died from the hailstones than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.
12 On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel:
“O sun, stand still over Gibeon,
O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 So the sun stood still,
and the moon stopped,
till the nation avenged itself on its enemies,as it is written in the Book of Jashar.
The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a man. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!
15 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.
Five Amorite Kings Killed
16 Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. 17 When Joshua was told that the five kings had been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah, 18 he said, “Roll large rocks up to the mouth of the cave, and post some men there to guard it. 19 But don't stop! Pursue your enemies, attack them from the rear and don't let them reach their cities, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand.”
20 So Joshua and the Israelites destroyed them completely—almost to a man—but the few who were left reached their fortified cities. 21 The whole army then returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one uttered a word against the Israelites.
22 Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.” 23 So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. 24 When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and placed their feet on their necks.
25 Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.” 26 Then Joshua struck and killed the kings and hung them on five trees, and they were left hanging on the trees until evening.
27 At sunset Joshua gave the order and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had been hiding. At the mouth of the cave they placed large rocks, which are there to this day.
28 That day Joshua took Makkedah. He put the city and its king to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivors. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
Southern Cities Conquered
29 Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and attacked it. 30 The Lord also gave that city and its king into Israel's hand. The city and everyone in it Joshua put to the sword. He left no survivors there. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
31 Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish; he took up positions against it and attacked it. 32 The Lord handed Lachish over to Israel, and Joshua took it on the second day. The city and everyone in it he put to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah. 33 Meanwhile, Horam king of Gezer had come up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his army—until no survivors were left.
34 Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Lachish to Eglon; they took up positions against it and attacked it. 35 They captured it that same day and put it to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it, just as they had done to Lachish.
36 Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and attacked it. 37 They took the city and put it to the sword, together with its king, its villages and everyone in it. They left no survivors. Just as at Eglon, they totally destroyed it and everyone in it.
38 Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned around and attacked Debir. 39 They took the city, its king and its villages, and put them to the sword. Everyone in it they totally destroyed. They left no survivors. They did to Debir and its king as they had done to Libnah and its king and to Hebron.
40 So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings. He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded. 41 Joshua subdued them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon. 42 All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
43 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Investing With Confidence
2010
Monday
20
September
Daily Devotional
Investing With Confidence
By Lisa Crum
This week's topic: The Importance Of Giving
Several years ago, shortly after my husband and I got married, we had the opportunity to have dinner with a friend who is a financial planner. Naturally, before the evening was out, we were asking him the type of questions any couple might who’s getting older and barreling toward retirement like a runaway train. Between dinner and dessert, our friend graciously explained to us the difference between investing in mutual funds and stock picking.
Later, when I went to work briefly at a financial advisory firm (as office help, not as an advisor, I might add…my disclaimer being to take this as an object lesson in Christian living and not financial advice!), I learned a little more about the subject…but it pretty much just boils down to this.
Passive investing in a mutual fund or an exchange traded fund is a hands-off approach, where you place money in an indexed pool of investments of a particular kind, managed by a fiduciary who is experienced in investing, and you let it ride over the long haul during good times and bad; the idea being that the good times do outweigh the bad and eventually you come out on top.
Active investing, also known as market timing or playing the stock market, might put you more in charge of calling the buy/sell shots, but often places you in a situation where you’re a day late, and then a dollar short. You see something doing well, you buy stock in it; but by that time, everyone else knows it’s doing well and therefore the value (and the price you’ll have to pay for it) goes up.
You find one of your investments doing poorly, you hurry up and try to sell the stock before it bottoms completely out, and then you wind up losing money because you often must sell it for less than you paid. There are endless reasons argued by pundits on both sides why one or the other is the better method, but like a cheesy slogan I’ve heard on TV about some unknown gadget, it sounded pretty good to me to just “set it and forget it.”
If you can forget it, that is…You know, kingdom work is a lot like financial investing, and there’s a lot to learn from examining the parallels. I don’t know about you, but one of the things which drives me regularly to the cross to ask for forgiveness is my tendency to try to play “stock market” with the love of God.
Jesus chose to invest in a very diverse group of people, and then let His decision rest in the Fiduciary’s hands. Some would serve Him forever, would spread His message into all the earth, and many would even die a martyr’s death in His name. Some, however, He knew might never straighten up and fly right, yet He loved them and was good to them anyway, giving them every opportunity to do right until the very end.
He included a Judas when He ordained the twelve. He healed all ten lepers, knowing only one would remember to come back and give thanks. What Jesus taught us through His example leaves us inexcusable for our finicky, selective doling out of the love of God to people in this mixed up, dying world. He’s telling us to love others as much as we love ourselves…and to love God even more than that (Matthew 22:37-40).
Since He did not give us any footnotes to clearly define which of our “neighbors” might fit that love-your-neighbor commandment, we must take it that He means to love them all! Yep, not just the trusted one next door who lends you his cordless drill when you forget to put yours on charge…but also the one who plays his music way too loud and lets his dog come over to “do its business” on your lawn!
The same goes with family, coworkers, and the like. We’re called to love not just the grandchildren whose voices on the other end of the phone send our heart soaring, but also the co-worker who would lie on us and make us look bad just to advance herself. The outcome may not always be what we wish, but people can’t help but be impacted by the love of God if you’ll dispense it and not sparingly.
Your grandchildren and your co-worker may remember that love for two entirely different reasons, but you can be certain that neither will be in vain, and neither will go unnoticed in heaven. It’s a hard discipline to learn, isn’t it? But it works consistently because Jesus modeled it with perfection.
After mingling with saints, sinners, temple-dwellers, and tax-collectors, He said to His Father regarding those with whom He’d been entrusted, “…not one of them got away, except for the rebel bent on destruction (the exception that proved the rule of Scripture).” John 17:12 THE MESSAGE
Know this: your love and prayers perpetuate beyond your earthly life, and the returns on your investment will not be fully realized until you meet some of your “shares” in eternity! Not one ounce of it is wasted, so you can’t afford to write off one single person on your prospectus.
There are always going to be some folk with whom you prefer to surround yourself (as do all of us), but never let it be said that you hoarded up the love of God to use on just those people you thought were most deserving or who are the most likely to become followers of Christ. You’re not the Fiduciary, so instead of analyzing who’s worth the trouble, who will or will not ever change, or who will be the most appreciative, just permit Him to use you as a conduit to make this priceless gift available, as Jesus did, to whosover will.
He’s well able to take care of the rest of the details. “…I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.” - 2 Tim 1:12 NLT
Invest liberally, and with confidence!
Scripture Of The Day: "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." - 2 Corinthians 9:6 (NIV)
Monday
20
September
Daily Devotional
Investing With Confidence
By Lisa Crum
This week's topic: The Importance Of Giving
Several years ago, shortly after my husband and I got married, we had the opportunity to have dinner with a friend who is a financial planner. Naturally, before the evening was out, we were asking him the type of questions any couple might who’s getting older and barreling toward retirement like a runaway train. Between dinner and dessert, our friend graciously explained to us the difference between investing in mutual funds and stock picking.
Later, when I went to work briefly at a financial advisory firm (as office help, not as an advisor, I might add…my disclaimer being to take this as an object lesson in Christian living and not financial advice!), I learned a little more about the subject…but it pretty much just boils down to this.
Passive investing in a mutual fund or an exchange traded fund is a hands-off approach, where you place money in an indexed pool of investments of a particular kind, managed by a fiduciary who is experienced in investing, and you let it ride over the long haul during good times and bad; the idea being that the good times do outweigh the bad and eventually you come out on top.
Active investing, also known as market timing or playing the stock market, might put you more in charge of calling the buy/sell shots, but often places you in a situation where you’re a day late, and then a dollar short. You see something doing well, you buy stock in it; but by that time, everyone else knows it’s doing well and therefore the value (and the price you’ll have to pay for it) goes up.
You find one of your investments doing poorly, you hurry up and try to sell the stock before it bottoms completely out, and then you wind up losing money because you often must sell it for less than you paid. There are endless reasons argued by pundits on both sides why one or the other is the better method, but like a cheesy slogan I’ve heard on TV about some unknown gadget, it sounded pretty good to me to just “set it and forget it.”
If you can forget it, that is…You know, kingdom work is a lot like financial investing, and there’s a lot to learn from examining the parallels. I don’t know about you, but one of the things which drives me regularly to the cross to ask for forgiveness is my tendency to try to play “stock market” with the love of God.
Jesus chose to invest in a very diverse group of people, and then let His decision rest in the Fiduciary’s hands. Some would serve Him forever, would spread His message into all the earth, and many would even die a martyr’s death in His name. Some, however, He knew might never straighten up and fly right, yet He loved them and was good to them anyway, giving them every opportunity to do right until the very end.
He included a Judas when He ordained the twelve. He healed all ten lepers, knowing only one would remember to come back and give thanks. What Jesus taught us through His example leaves us inexcusable for our finicky, selective doling out of the love of God to people in this mixed up, dying world. He’s telling us to love others as much as we love ourselves…and to love God even more than that (Matthew 22:37-40).
Since He did not give us any footnotes to clearly define which of our “neighbors” might fit that love-your-neighbor commandment, we must take it that He means to love them all! Yep, not just the trusted one next door who lends you his cordless drill when you forget to put yours on charge…but also the one who plays his music way too loud and lets his dog come over to “do its business” on your lawn!
The same goes with family, coworkers, and the like. We’re called to love not just the grandchildren whose voices on the other end of the phone send our heart soaring, but also the co-worker who would lie on us and make us look bad just to advance herself. The outcome may not always be what we wish, but people can’t help but be impacted by the love of God if you’ll dispense it and not sparingly.
Your grandchildren and your co-worker may remember that love for two entirely different reasons, but you can be certain that neither will be in vain, and neither will go unnoticed in heaven. It’s a hard discipline to learn, isn’t it? But it works consistently because Jesus modeled it with perfection.
After mingling with saints, sinners, temple-dwellers, and tax-collectors, He said to His Father regarding those with whom He’d been entrusted, “…not one of them got away, except for the rebel bent on destruction (the exception that proved the rule of Scripture).” John 17:12 THE MESSAGE
Know this: your love and prayers perpetuate beyond your earthly life, and the returns on your investment will not be fully realized until you meet some of your “shares” in eternity! Not one ounce of it is wasted, so you can’t afford to write off one single person on your prospectus.
There are always going to be some folk with whom you prefer to surround yourself (as do all of us), but never let it be said that you hoarded up the love of God to use on just those people you thought were most deserving or who are the most likely to become followers of Christ. You’re not the Fiduciary, so instead of analyzing who’s worth the trouble, who will or will not ever change, or who will be the most appreciative, just permit Him to use you as a conduit to make this priceless gift available, as Jesus did, to whosover will.
He’s well able to take care of the rest of the details. “…I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.” - 2 Tim 1:12 NLT
Invest liberally, and with confidence!
Scripture Of The Day: "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." - 2 Corinthians 9:6 (NIV)
A Lifestyle Of Giving
2010
Sunday
19
September
Daily Devotional
A Lifestyle Of Giving
By Tanya James
This week's topic: The Importance Of Giving
I get very excited about giving. I mean uncontainable excitement and guess what, I am not even thinking about financial giving. It seems sometimes we get stuck there – believing the only way we can give is with money. This means if we don’t have any money, we may feel that we have nothing to give.
However, there are so many other ways to give. Matter of fact, giving should be a part of your lifestyle. It should be something that you do so freely and regularly that it’s just a natural part of who you are.
So you ask, "How can I give something other than money?"
You can give of your time by serving in a ministry within the four walls of your church or even volunteering with an organization in your community. Going even further than that, make sure you are giving your time to your family. Don’t always give the best of you to everyone else and only give your family your leftovers.
You can give of your heart and compassion to those that may simply need someone to talk to, or a shoulder to cry on or someone to pray with them. Sometimes giving of your heart may be sharing an encouraging word or even a simple hug or hello to a stranger.
Of course, you can also give of your money – in addition to your regular tithes and offering – you can give to some of the special projects your church may be working on. You can give to that youth trying to save money to go study abroad. You can give to that family down the street that may be struggling due to someone being laid off. You can give to your local homeless shelter or children’s hospital …
Needless to say, daily we are presented with opportunities to give – lets all make an effort to give something of ourselves daily until it becomes a lifestyle. I guarantee you will find out what it means to be blessed to be a blessing!
Scripture Of The Day: "Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” - Luke 6:38
Founder and president of The Master Plan, Tanya James is the author of From Promiscuity to Proverbs 31: Getting Off the Fence of Sexual Immorality. For more information about Tanya, log onto http://www.armedanddangerous.biz or http://www.themasterplan.biz.
Sunday
19
September
Daily Devotional
A Lifestyle Of Giving
By Tanya James
This week's topic: The Importance Of Giving
I get very excited about giving. I mean uncontainable excitement and guess what, I am not even thinking about financial giving. It seems sometimes we get stuck there – believing the only way we can give is with money. This means if we don’t have any money, we may feel that we have nothing to give.
However, there are so many other ways to give. Matter of fact, giving should be a part of your lifestyle. It should be something that you do so freely and regularly that it’s just a natural part of who you are.
So you ask, "How can I give something other than money?"
You can give of your time by serving in a ministry within the four walls of your church or even volunteering with an organization in your community. Going even further than that, make sure you are giving your time to your family. Don’t always give the best of you to everyone else and only give your family your leftovers.
You can give of your heart and compassion to those that may simply need someone to talk to, or a shoulder to cry on or someone to pray with them. Sometimes giving of your heart may be sharing an encouraging word or even a simple hug or hello to a stranger.
Of course, you can also give of your money – in addition to your regular tithes and offering – you can give to some of the special projects your church may be working on. You can give to that youth trying to save money to go study abroad. You can give to that family down the street that may be struggling due to someone being laid off. You can give to your local homeless shelter or children’s hospital …
Needless to say, daily we are presented with opportunities to give – lets all make an effort to give something of ourselves daily until it becomes a lifestyle. I guarantee you will find out what it means to be blessed to be a blessing!
Scripture Of The Day: "Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” - Luke 6:38
Founder and president of The Master Plan, Tanya James is the author of From Promiscuity to Proverbs 31: Getting Off the Fence of Sexual Immorality. For more information about Tanya, log onto http://www.armedanddangerous.biz or http://www.themasterplan.biz.
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