Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video and lyrics from the group Unspoken singing their song … Call It Grace … poignantly singing of how we need to be giving out what God gives to us … “Call it grace!”
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Highlight Verse[s]: 2Corinthians 8:7 [NLT] … 7 Since you excel in so many ways — in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us — I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.
…Since God has given us so much from His grace, we should be sharing that grace with others.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 2Corinthians 8:1-9 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The Apostle relates how Christians should share God’s grace cheerfully and sacrificially.
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Reference Passage [NLT] : … 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 presents God’s promise as to His return for our giving freely to help others.
Reference Passage [NLT] : … 2Corinthians 9:6-9 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul quotes from Prov. 22:8 and Ps. 112:9 as to God’s principles and promises with regard to giving … that primarily we reap what we sow when we give cheerfully and generously.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Sheridan Voysey, related a true story to illustrate how God’s people can share His grace in giving to others in need The ODB author wrote: Cheryl was in for a surprise as she pulled up to deliver her next pizza. Expecting to arrive at a home, she instead found herself outside a church. Cheryl confusedly carried the pepperoni pizza inside, where she was met by the pastor.
“Is it fair to say life hasn’t been easy for you?” the pastor asked her. Cheryl agreed it hadn’t. With that, he brought out two offering plates that church members had filled with money. The pastor then poured over $750 into Cheryl’s delivery bag as a tip! [See photo] Unbeknownst to Cheryl, the pastor had asked the pizza shop to send their most financially strapped driver over. Cheryl was stunned. She could now pay some bills.
And really that story relates so much about how God uses the cheerful and sacrificial giving of His people to share His grace with those who are in need. It is the same message the Apostle Paul shared with Christians in Corinth who were in the midst of a famine [see highlight passage]. But Paul pointed out how the Macedonian Christians, who were also in need, were willing to share as much as they could so generously with others. But are we getting God’s message … to overcome our natural selfishness and share His providence with others?
When Jesus was teaching His disciples (see Luke 6:38), He shared about how we can not out give God and how He will return to us His grace in the measure of what we’re willing to cheerfully and sacrificially give (see also 2Cor. 9:6-9).
So today - and prayerfully tomorrow - I’m going to be looking for opportunities to help others by giving my time, talent, and treasure in a way that reflects my Lord’s unlimited grace as He has given to us. Let’s pray we can overcome our selfish nature and give our first fruits to others in His Name and for His glory.
My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Show me clearly where I can give from what You’ve given me to help others in need. … Amen
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.
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