December 6, 2023… Saint Nicholas’ Generosity …

December 6, 2023… Saint Nicholas’ Generosity  …   

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from the group Vintage Worship singing  … Generous Giver …  Poignantly singing of how Jesus is so generous with His love, mercy, and grace, … calling us Christians to be the same to others, especially those in need. 

Saint Nick - Legend of a cheerful giver ... 

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Highlight Passage: … Matthew 1:23 [NLT] … 

23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”. 

…God proclaims to Joseph of God’s ultimate plan to give Mary a Son, … God’s Son and our Savior, … and God with us, The Messiah, our Lord, Jesus, … The Christ. the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy long ago.         

Highlight Passage (in context)  … Matthew 1:18-25  … USE THIS LINK …  

…God’s ultimate generosity in giving up His Son to be born as a child and to die for us as God’s gift of salvation.                  

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Reference Passage: … Proverbs 19-17 (NLT] … 

17 If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD - and He will repay you! 

…Generosity in helping those in need is lending to the Lord, Who will repay the generosity of the giver. 

Reference Passage: … Matthew 6:21 (NLT] … 

21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

… Jesus teaches His followers that what they (we) treasure reveals the condition of their (our) heart.     

Reference Passage: … Luke 6:38 (NLT] …  

38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”  

… Jesus teaches His disciples about giving and the reward God will return to those who give to others generously.   

Reference Passage: … Acts 20:35 (NLT] … 

35 And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” 

…The Apostle Paul on giving to others, declaring that He followed, and lived by,  what Jesus taught that it always more blessed to give than to receive.  

Reference Passage: … 2Corinthians 9:6-7 (NLT] …USE THIS LINK …  

… The Apostle charges fellow Christians that we reap what we sow … and that God loves a generous giver who cheerfully gives to others in need.  

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread Author , Winn Collier  AT THIS LINK -  uses the legend of Saint Nicholas (see photo), … whose persona and legend proceeded the American Christmas character of “Saint Nick” or “Santa Claus.”  According to the legends, mostly out of Europe, St Nick was a Priest who generously and cheerfully gave of his treasures and wealth to the poor and needy, … because of His love of the Lord and following Christ’s example of giving His all for mankind.     

Today as we are engulfed by the marketing world, it’s a good time to stop and reflect on the real “reason for this season” from God’s point of view.  We need to remember that God gave His son for me and for you. We are His reason for this season; and those of us who know Jesus as Lord and strive to follow His example thru God’s word (see Scriptures above) with regard to giving - especially in the Advent Season - need to remember and be guided by God’s call to give generously and cheerfully, … just as He was willing to give sinful mankind His Son.

I pray we all strive to be cheerful and Christlike givers during the hustle and bustle of the Advent Season.                                                                                                    

   

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for giving Your all for my all.       

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray. again today, that all reading here will join me, …to follow Your giving Spirit, Lord, during this season of giving Your love and grace to others.  … Amen  

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Blogger Note Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.