Stewards
of Hope
Devotion Guide for 40 Days
of Hope
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“He is the end of our search, not the means of some further end. Our exceeding joy is He, the Lord.” –John Piper (Christian Author, Teacher, & Preacher)
The Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16 that ALL scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. God’s Word is our primary source for knowing Him better and for seeking His will in our lives. It is important that we make spending time with God and searching His word a daily priority. It can be so easy to neglect spending Quiet Time with God, in prayer, reading the scriptures, and listening. But, in order for us to stay in tune with Him we need to take the time. It can be the most rewarding moment of your day. Over the next 40 days, our challenge to you, is to spend quality time with the Father. Use the following devotions as a guide. Take one a day, use your Bible to look up and soak in the scriptures, meditate on them, and pray fervently for God to reveal Himself and His will for you during this time. By doing this, your day will be refreshed and renewed. The Bible doesn’t specify a certain time to meet with Him, however, on several occasions it does point out that the morning is a great time to come before His throne. In the Psalms, David challenges us to arise early to meet God. Psalm 5:3 says, “In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice;” and Psalm 88:13 reads, “…in the morning, my prayer comes before you.” Jesus also met the Father early in the morning. Mark 1:35 states, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.” The next 40 days are a crucial time for our church. It is a time that each of us should strive to deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ. It is a time that we should carve out time to seek God’s will for our lives. It is a time for us to determine just how God wants us to use our time, talents, gifts, and service for His Glory. Join the Stewards of Hope during the upcoming 5 weeks in using this devotional and making Him your #1 priority.
“I am the Lord, All- Powerful and I challenge you to put me to the test. Bring the entire 10% into the storehouse…and I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing.” -Malachi 3:10 CEV
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“HOW to LIVE a MEANINGFUL LIFE” Herb Miller
“John answered, ‘The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.” - Luke 3:11 NIV Many Americans live with two opposite feelings. On one hand, they want to experience meaning and purpose in their lives. On the other hand, they often feel that they are running on empty. In his classic novel, Les Miserables, Victor Hugo tells us how to eliminate that second feeling. The bishop befriends Jean Valjean and gives him lodging. Valjean repays the kindness by stealing the bishop’s valuable candlesticks. After the bishop reports the theft, the police magistrate questions Valjean in the bishop’s presence. As the interrogation progresses, Valjean seems headed for jail. At that point, the bishop unexpectedly retracts his charges and offers a plausible reason for why the candlesticks are missing. Jean Valjean is amazed. When he and the bishop are alone, he says, “Why did you do that? You know I am guilty.” The bishop replies, “Life is for giving.” Why do churches receive an offering in their worship services? Some people say, “Because the church needs the money.” That is only part of the answer. Even if a wealthy benefactor fully underwrote our congregation’s expenses, we would still need to provide people with the opportunity to give an offering in our worship services. Weekly giving teaches us – and reminds us because we keep forgetting – that life without unselfish giving is life without meaning and purpose. Victor Hugo is right. Life is for giving.
Almighty Father, Please shake me alive over these next 40 days to the unmistakable realization that without You, I would not have life today, nor life for eternity. Please bring me to a truer understanding of the phrase ‘life is for giving’. Remind me of Your generous outpouring of grace, of Your lavishing of love on me to the height of sacrificing Your only Son to an excruciatingly painful death on a cross, and of your filling me to overflowing with Your Holy Spirit, so I can be who You’ve called me to be. Please nudge me to let go and ‘give’ in the manner in which You have taught. Please make me a steward of hope and give You my all. Thank You, thank You, and Amen. “WHERE BEST TO INVEST?” Tim & Ellen Pyles
In today’s world people are always talking about investments and how to earn the most from their money. Have you considered investing in God and God’s work? Sure you can put your money in the bank and earn 2% to 5% or perhaps you could hit it big by investing in a new business venture. But let’s not forget the many investors who put so much faith in Enron. You may want to consider making a low risk, long range investment that guarantees lasting value by investing in God’s work (Matthew 6:20-21). In the book The Treasure Principle, Randy Alcorn states, “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20). Christ is not against our storing up treasures for ourselves, in fact He is all for it. He commands us to store up treasures. He just wants us to store them in the right place. It is by serving God and others that we store up heavenly treasures. Everyone gains and no one loses. Alcorn, states that another benefit of giving is freedom. It’s a matter of physics. The greater the mass, the greater the hold that mass exerts on us. It’s like a vicious circle: The more things we own then the greater their total mass and the more they grip us, putting us in orbit around them. Finally, like a black hole, they suck us in. But giving breaks the cycle. It frees us from orbiting around our possessions so we can escape their pull allowing us to enter a new orbit around our treasures in heaven. Try using the 40 Days of Hope as a time to re-evaluate your commitment to God, His church, and your investment in the future of our church. Let’s get up, get out, and get lost in the needs of others. “AN INVITATION to FAST” Dan Johnson
Matthew 6:16-18 “And whenever you fast. . .” In a recent conversation with a church member the topic of fasting came up. She asked what was the Biblical basis for fasting, what good does it do, and then the question: “Pastor Dan, how often do you fast?” I must admit I struggled a bit and finally came up with the stories of how I used to fast a lot when I was district superintendent but have not recently because I am a diabetic and “we must eat regularly and be careful, you know.” I did not sleep much that night –guilt kept me awake and as I prayed and searched for forgiveness that night, as I realized just how long it had been since I fasted, the memories of the spiritual growth and nourishment I received back when I did fast on a regular basis encouraged me to consider this discipline again – especially during the 40 Days of Hope. Fasting is mentioned throughout the scripture as a discipline. Jesus assumed his followers fasted in the scripture listed above; he did not say “if you fast” but rather “when you fast.” It is interesting to note that when Jesus mentions fasting it is in the context of giving and prayer as if all three are a part of Christian devotion. A little later on in the scripture Jesus is questioned about why his disciples did not fast like the Pharisees and he answered (Matthew 9:15) that in a little while, when the bridegroom (Jesus) is gone, then they will fast. That seems a pretty good indication that fasting is expected of us today. That’s one of the suggestions of scripture that is easy to ignore. Fasting has several benefits: it helps us focus on God (not on ourselves and our hunger) and to acknowledge that God is in charge and provides all we need. Fasting teaches us how much other things control us and if there is anything negative or controlling in us, it will come out while fasting. We then learn that we are sustained by “every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) Food doesn’t sustain us, God sustains us. These 40 Days of Hope are so critical to our church and its future, it demands all of our devotion which, I believe, means fasting, prayer and giving. Clarity on what God wants me to do and how to respond to our financial campaign can only be better if I dedicate my fasting time to contemplation and prayer concerning God’s will for my life. So join me! I might not be able to cut out all the food, but for the 40 Days, and hopefully beyond, I commit to fasting by having no Diet Pepsi (I live on the stuff) and no sweets of any kind. Each time I crave them will be a reminder to thank God and to pray: “God, your will be done in my life and in my giving.”
Prayer: O Lord, give me the strength to do your will in my life.
“SPECIAL TREASURE” Linda Chaney
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” -Luke 12:34 NIV As many of you know, I had the amazing opportunity to spend two weeks in Russia last summer with 350 orphans, ranging in ages of 18 months to 18 years of age. Many of them actually had cigar-type boxes that they used to hold their most valuable treasures. One child, named Dasha, showed me the contents of her treasure box: a couple tubes of paint, a ball of green yarn, a small plastic elephant, a plastic comb, a plastic toy spoon, a straw for drinking and a necklace with a Greek Orthodox cross on it. As we were looking at the items, she put her hand to my neck as if looking for something. She then looked down into her box, picked up the necklace, placed it over my head and onto my neck. Now, I did not want to take anything from her…but I could tell she was upset as I tried to return it to her. So I kept it. You need to know that these children do not even own their own clothes. They wear the same clothes for two or three days, then the clothes are sent to the laundry. When the clothes are clean, they are randomly distributed to the children. So what they own, material-wise, is very little, compared to us. I thought that my trip to Russia would allow me to carry God’s love to others. But God saw fit to show me His love through an orphan. Her treasure was not simply in the box, but in her act of sharing what she had with me. This has been one of many lessons I have not forgotten--even a year later. In our 40 Days of Hope/Footprints of Hope, I feel this act is what we should be striving to do with God. We need to see what is in our treasure box (money, checking accounts, stock options, bonds, annuities, real estate, cars, vacation homes, etc.) and share with Him the finest that we have. Oh, and the necklace? I still wear it just about every day. “IN GOD’S TIME & HANDS” Fred Jackson
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” -Luke 6:38 NIV Several years ago, as young Christians, my wife and I were undecided about tithing at church. After much study and prayer, we decided to make a commitment to put God first and give our 10 percent tithe to the church as well as other giving opportunities as they arose. After making our pledge to God and the church, we found our financial situation to be in better condition than before we tithed. Since we have been giving in this manner to God, we have wanted and lacked for nothing. All of our bills are current. Our wants and needs are provided in God’s timing and our worries over money were over when we placed them in God’s hands. We’ve learned, you cannot out give God!
“FRIENDS LEAD the WAY” Dan Doman
“Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are my God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” -Psalm 25:4-5 NIV I want to begin by saying that, for any Christian, the structure of giving should be a product of prayer and an honest response by the giver to what he understands as God’s will for his life and faith. Having said that, I want to share with you a personal witness of this process in my own life. About 25 years ago, I was touched by a statement made by my friend, Oscar Hutchison. He said that he had struggled with his giving until he had finally made the commitment to tithe. This had taken all his self-imposed stress away and had changed his life permanently. At that time, God had been working on me, so I prayed, thought about my conversation with Oscar, prayed some more, and finally concluded that God wanted me to make a similar commitment. It took a few years of increasing my giving before I finally reached the goal of at least 10% of my total income going to God’s work in His world. This decision profoundly changed my life. It did very little to change my financial circumstances or my standard of living. In fact I saw very little change there. However, it changed my priorities and my attitudes in ways that caused me to take advantage of many opportunities to grow in my faith and, most importantly, my personal relationship with Jesus. I wish that I could say that I have had no troubles since then, but that wouldn’t be true. There have been hard times and wonderful times, and through them all, God has been faithful and has guided me. At times he has carried me when I could not do it alone. The result is that I am a truly happy man, and my heart and soul are at peace. On a personal note, Oscar is still living a life of strength that is full of grace. I still plan to be like him when I grow up. Thank you, Oscar, and thank you, Jesus, for using our friends to help us grow closer to you.
Prayer: My God and my Guide, help me to trust You to lead me along paths that will bring me closer to You. You know what is best for me. Use me to be part of Your will for me and for Your world. In Jesus’ name, Amen. “REACHING for the CROSS” Arnie Vaughn
“You see that a man is justified (pronounced righteous before God) through what he does and not alone through faith [through works of obedience as well as by what he believes].” -James 2:24 AMP You know you are busy. I know I'm busy. The bottom of my inbox at work never sees the light of day. If we had a job jar at our house of things to do, it would take two canister sets, one Tupperware set and three quart mason jars to hold it all. It seems as I complete one project three more mysteriously appear in its place. Using this domestic algebra, I should get all my work done by the year 2216. Then add the family component and all the activities mean more time: being a coach, a referee, a cheerleader, team photographer, scout leader, and of course, chauffeur. In the midst of this chaos, we now talk about sacrificial giving, which for most people is tithing. But have you read the Baptismal covenant recently? This covenant asks that we faithfully participate in the ministries of the church with our prayers, our presence, our gifts and our service. Does your sacrificial giving include your time? To the point that it inconveniences you? Are you taking time to pray and read your Bible daily, to volunteer, to serve - to be a visible working part of your church and not just a number or a check? I'm still working at it on a daily basis. I still fall so very short. I still keep trying. I still reach for the cross, for only through Christ do I stand a chance. “GOOD and PERFECT GIFTS” Diann Prunesti
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” -2nd Corinthians 9:7 NIV
“Every good and perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” -James 1:17 NIV God gives us every good and perfect gift, isn’t that awesome? The Lord has been so good to me and I know that everything I have is from Him! God gives so much to all of us and wants us to give cheerfully to others. By giving to our church we are able to spread His Word and serve others throughout our community as well as within our church. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful church family and want others to experience this blessing. By supporting our church with our prayers, talents and gifts we can show more people the love of Christ. Please pray and ask God what He wants you to do to further His kingdom, keeping the above scriptures in your heart. “SPIRITUAL GIFTS” Josh Grant
“All who are skilled among you are to come and make everything the Lord commanded” -Exodus 35:10 NIV This scripture from the book of Exodus relates to the construction of a tabernacle for God. Moses asked people of different abilities to help. Every person has special gifts or abilities that can be used to advance God’s Kingdom. We must use these gifts as the scripture calls us and do so in a cheerful way. “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). The giving of one’s talents, offerings and time is an important part of stewardship and all are an important part of being a Christian. This passage also informs us that each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give and give not reluctantly. The book of Romans instructs us “now you belong to Him in order that we might be useful in the service of God” (Romans 7:4). As a Christian it is our responsibility to be useful. These scriptures convey the importance of giving to advance Christ’s Kingdom. Each person has something to offer no matter how small the offering is, as long as it is done cheerfully. You will be blessed and the blessings you receive will be ten fold. As a popular Christian songwriter puts it, “You will be drinking from your saucer, because your cup has overflowed.”
“GOD’S PROMISE” Sarah Hunter
“He has given us both His promise and His oath, two things we can completely count on, for it is impossible for God to tell a lie.” -Hebrews 6:18 TLB God’s promise to believers is that all may enter Heaven. Not “anyone” may enter. Not “everyone”. Hebrews 4:3 tells us that “only we who believe God can enter his place of rest.” Notice, this scripture doesn’t say those who believe in God. Just think about the big difference this one little word makes. Believing in God is the beginning of our relationship with God. Believing God is the key that opens the gates of Heaven. God’s oath to believers is that He will help us be ready to receive His promise. He makes everything available, every day, for us to achieve this goal. He holds nothing back. He wants us to succeed! He wants us to grow into the believer we promised Him we would become when we took our oath to Him. He wants us with Him in Heaven! He wants us to live up to our fullest potential. Because He loves us! And that’s no lie! “THE MINISTRY of GIVING” Ron Scaggs
In Second Corinthians, Chapter 8, Paul tells the Corinthians of the giving by the churches in Macedonia to Christians in Jerusalem. The Macedonians got the spirit and begged to be allowed to give more. It sounds like they got caught up in the Grace of Giving. He goes on to say that the Macedonians went beyond their highest hopes because their first action was to dedicate themselves to the Lord for whatever directions He may give them. Paul calls for the Corinthians to excel in the ministry of giving. He asks the church in Corinth to not give until it hurts but to give until it helps. How many of us think of giving to our church as being a help ministry? God calls on us to give of ourselves in the form of our putting forth our gifts. We are to give as the Spirit moves us – not how we move ourselves. We do this so that our church may help us, the congregation, and others who need it. This giving of our presence and our gifts is a ministry of a very high calling. Our church works to give to the needy - not just those needy of material help but also to those who need spiritual help. It cannot do this as it needs unless we as a congregation give until it helps. “BEING or BECOMING” Becky Johnson
1 John2:3-6 I heard someone say that, “being a Christian is easy.” At first I thought maybe that was true. After all, doesn’t the Bible tell us that salvation is ours for the asking and that if we have faith and believe in Jesus, we become part of God’s Kingdom? So then, why not accept that being a Christian is easy? Maybe it’s because of that one little word, BEING. If I replace it with BECOMING, then I can agree completely. God does make becoming a Christian easy. Jesus did all the hard work for us. We only have to accept Him. Now BEING a Christian is just the opposite. We must die to our sinful, selfish nature and endeavor to live lives that are pleasing to God every day. Given that we are human, this makes for a continual struggle. Fortunately, God equips us with the tools to succeed. When we’re not feeling very industrious, the Holy Spirit will give us the nudge we need. When we’re not feeling very charitable, the Holy Spirit shows us the bigger picture. With our acts of deliberate kindness and generosity, we will help further God’s Kingdom and know what is to BE a Christian.
Prayer: God, I desire to truly BE a Christian. Help me to be a generous giver and loving spirit for Your Kingdom. Amen. “THOUGHT for TODAY” Oscar Hutchison
May I share some thoughts about giving? We, as a church family, are setting some time aside to consider our response to the need to give of our resources and ourselves to our God. May I suggest scripture readings of: 1 Corinthians 16:1 and 2 Corinthians 8:1. These readings while not fully collaborative will suggest a Christian doctrine for giving. Now, may I make a few observations for you to consider. 1. To give or not to give is really not an option if we are truly Christians. 2. The act of giving (sacrifice) was expected (demanded) at the beginning of man’s relationship with God and so it is today. 3. Over time, the giving of a tithe or 10% has evolved as a desirable level of giving. 4. To reach this level of giving, set a goal and then work to achieve it. As a personal observation, you will experience a great blessing, have peace of mind, and you won’t miss the money. Do not neglect prayer in guiding your decision. “HONORING GOD with OUR TIME” Ann Richmond
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things
will be given to you as well.”
“I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart” - Psalm 40:8 NIV
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” -James 1:5 NIV Most of my life I really didn’t give tithing a lot of thought. I knew it was something my parents did faithfully, every Sunday. We never talked much about it. I just knew they did it and it was important to them, but I really wasn’t sure why. Sure, after I became an adult, I gave to the church – when I could. I never thought of what the money really went to do. Before I began working for the church you could say I was clueless! It is something that I have been in much prayer about in the last several months. I have asked God to give me a deeper understanding as to His will for me and my giving, both of time and money. It has become important to me to teach my children the true meaning of giving, not only of our money, but our time and our talents. As Christians, we need to learn the value of making Christ and His church first in our lives rather than giving Him what’s left over, as so many of us do, myself included. If we model our lives after Jesus, we learn that He incorporated a lot of interests into His day. He socialized at parties, met new people, spent time with friends, went to church, taught, worked, honored the Sabbath, and He knew when to step out of the demands of the day to rest and pray. That’s the key. Jesus knew His priorities, and He knew when He needed to reconnect with His heavenly Father. Talk to your child(ren) about the importance of honoring God with our time. Explain that we are managers (stewards) of the time God has given to us, and we need to use our time wisely, and according to God’s will for our lives. Make church attendance a priority. Consider it a tithe of time. Give God the first and best part of your week. We are encouraged to not give up this time of worship and fellowship with believers. With the giving of our time I believe the giving of our gifts will increase. Heavenly Father, I praise You for Your mighty works and faithfulness. Thank You for giving me today. I pray for Your guidance as I seek to live a life pleasing in Your sight. Help me to make the best use of my time, and to teach my children to honor the time You’ve given them. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. “GOD’S GIFTS MULTIPLIED” Bill Straub, Jr.
John 6: 1-15 What a story; haven't you been in this type of situation where you would ask a question already knowing the answer, to see if those around you have captured the idea being taught? Jesus was testing (vs. 6) His disciples to see where they were in their understanding of Him. Phillip immediately responded inwardly. He looked at the bank account and exclaimed, "Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite.” Andrew said, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" Remember, Jesus in (vs. 6) already stated that He knew what He was going to do. This was not about a bank account or the questioning of the size of the gift. This was about in whose hands the problem was going to be laid. Once the gift was given into the Master’s hands, thanks was given, and the spiritual multiplication of the gift began. What a miracle to have been witnessed by Phillip, Andrew, and the boy along with the multitudes there. For we see in these few verses our responses are not to look inward for the answers, but upward. His ways are not our ways, nor His thoughts our thoughts (Isaiah 55: 8), but a gift given from a cheerful heart and obedience to the call for the tithe to be brought to into the storehouse, and given into the Master’s hands, will receive the spiritual multiplication (Malachi 3:10).
Lord, Thank You for Your word as You continually reveal Your teaching to us. Amen.
“HOPE of ETERNAL LIFE” Debbie Gray
“So that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” -Titus 3:7 NIV It’s hard to see things grow old. I have never been good with change and the older I become the more I reflect on the past, the present, and the future. Some of my favorite places are gone… the old hangout sites are torn down or boarded up… I wish I could make it all new again. I long to erase the lines on my face… but I can’t. I can’t. But God can! “He can restore my soul,” says the shepherd. I need to concentrate on my eternal life and not so much on the secular world. When I look at the sunset and marvel at all God has blessed me with, do I really want to return to the past? Absolutely not. For while my time on earth is limited, I know through my Savior my future of eternal life is awesome! Though we all reminisce about the “what ifs”, I will live with such joy of my heavenly Father leading me to a life of glory. I will pray for joy and keep my heart open knowing God is leading me every step of my life. “ALL WE HAVE” Elizabeth Anne Baker
Do you ever wonder where God is? Sometimes He seems so far away when we listen only to the media reporting world affairs. But God is all around us. I find God in simple acts of kindness, in moments of nature's beauty, in the hug and simple "I love you" from family and friends. And I realize all of these are gifts from God. All we have are gifts from God. He has given us so much in times of beauty and sadness and complexity. Now we must determine how best to thank God for these gifts of abundant life. We must offer our "thank you" to Him every morning, every night, in every small moment of our everyday life by "our prayers, our presence, our gifts and our service". Jesus says in Matthew 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give." “FIRST & BEST” Brenda Rappold
The verse to read and remember today is: “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” -Hebrews 13:16 NIV It is often argued that a good rule to follow when tithing is to tithe on the first and the best of what we have received. In addition to our tithes, which are to be the first and the best, Christians are supposed to give “offerings”. Offerings are in addition to tithes and should be sacrificial. The more daring we are with our “offerings”, the greater will be our reward. Many of us “tithe” on what we have left over after we have paid all of our bills, have been on vacation, have bought some new clothes, have eaten at a fancy restaurant and have tapped into some great entertainment. If there happens to be anything left, we then decide if we can give any of what is left over to God. Unfortunately, God’s expectations are that we should give our first and our best. Our first and our best does not only apply to money, but it applies to our time and our talents too. We do not seem to hesitate to pay a little more for a specific brand name that we deem is “the best”. We do not seem to mind if we have to spend some extra time at the ball field because our children are playing or our favorite team is in the playoffs. Similarly we should be willing to spend extra time in promoting God’s work. Do we? If the money you give and the time you spend in promoting God’s work were considered the benchmark of a successful Christian, what would be the status of God’s kingdom? Would you want fellow Christians to mimic your tithing and the time you give to God’s work? Does God view your giving as sacrificial, or is your giving the crumbs that are left over? What if God answered your prayers in the same manner that you give of your money and time? Would you be worried? We have to remember that God gave the ultimate sacrifice—His life—that we may have life and have it more abundantly. What we “give” back should be a reflection of how much we appreciate His ultimate gift. “THEY’LL KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS” Phil Hutchison
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” -2 Corinthians 13:5 NIV The apostle Paul was calling all of us to examine ourselves to determine if we were Christians. He called for us to commit ourselves to know the gospel, to know that we were growing spiritually with Christ. Growing in a way that we knew that we had faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. How do we know that we are Christians? By our love, as the song goes, “they” will know that we are Christians by our love. We test our faith each day by our love for others, our families, friends, co-workers, the people we meet on the streets, and in the stores. But the most important way of knowing we are Christians is our daily desire to have that close relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. “Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you, unless, of course, you fail the test.” Do you realize ……? “HAVE or HAVE NOT” Sally Doman
I must admit that, at first, it made me a little nervous to write a devotion regarding sacrificial giving and tithing. I say this because as a single and working young woman, I have not always been able to financially give as much as I would like to give to God. Each year I get closer to my goal, and I know that the Lord is aware of the intention in my heart. So I’m working hard to reach that goal and I’m learning to be OK with what I am able to give right now. In the meantime, God continues to show me other ways He can use me, by giving of my time, gifts, knowledge, and love. And for the past week, I have become especially aware of the opportunities for sacrificial giving that God places in front of me. I just returned from a week-long Christianity-based camp for children ages seven through eleven who have been placed in foster care due to some type of child abuse. What you must realize is that even a week before I left for this camp I was struggling. I wasn’t struggling because I did not want to teach these kids about God’s love for them, but because it was interfering with my life. I was going to have to give up some hours at work, I wouldn’t be able to talk to my boyfriend as often, I was preparing for a lifelong friend’s wedding that very week, and I was stressed. But the moment I met these children and began teaching them songs about Jesus, I was forever changed. I realized that each of us can give sacrificially to others, simply by sharing who we are with them. A simple word of praise to a child who rarely hears encouragement is priceless. Raising money so that you can provide a small suitcase to a child whose belongings are kept in a garbage bag is priceless. Increasing self confidence in a child by allowing him to sing into a microphone or helping her to jump into a pool with the guarantee that you know he or she can do it, is priceless. Yes, I had to give up a few things and step out of my comfort zone for a week. SO WHAT? Being even a small part of showing these children that God loves them and is always with them has changed me forever. I am humbled by His patience as I fight my human desires to stay in my comfort zone. I am humbled by the encouragement He gives me when I wonder if I am able to give enough. In 2 Corinthians 8:12 Paul states: “If you want to give, your gift will be accepted. It will be judged by what you have, not by what you do not have.” At camp this week I learned that God can always use me…period. I thank God today, for continuing to show me new ways in which I can give to Him and for using little children, once again, to show us the kingdom. “SACRIFICE & SHARING” Glenda Wait
Hebrews 13: 15-16 Lord, we come together to praise Your holy name. We come as many voices uniting in one. We come from many backgrounds and differing life experiences which construct our social and personal reality. We come with different nee |
