Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of Jim Rice of the group Brush Arbor singing … Hello God … poignantly singing about the best gift we can give to God … our surrender to Him … and … THEN TO THIS LINK another song of surrender, sung by Brian Littrell … about the greatest gift we can give to God … our all!
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Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 6:4 [NLT] … 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
… Our Heavenly Father always know what we give … and WHY!
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Highlight Passage [context]: Matthew 6:1-4 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus saw the Jewish leaders making a show of their giving; … so, in His sermon on the mount He preached on making our giving between us and God … and only for HIS glory.
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Reference Passage [NLT] : … Malachi 3:6-12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God instructs and challenges His people on obedient and faithful giving, with His promise to give back to the faithful more than they can imagine.
Reference Passage [NLT] : … Proverbs 3:9-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Solomon, instructs His faithful to give the best part of our increase to Him; and in response he pour out more than we need.
Reference Passage [NLT] : … 2nd Corinthians 9:6-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God always knows why we give to/for Him … and He loves a cheerful, sacrificial giver.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Leslie Koh, writes about a church member who felt unappreciated for the time/service she was providing to a member. The ODB author wrote: When Denise met a hurting young woman in her church, her heart went out to her and she decided to see if she could help. Every week she spent time counseling her and praying with her. Denise became her mentor. However, some church leaders didn’t notice Denise’s efforts and decided to assign a church staff member to mentor the woman. No one, they commented, seemed to be taking care of her.
While she was not expecting any credit, Denise couldn’t help but feel a little discouraged. “It’s as if I wasn’t doing anything at all,” she told me.
One day, however, the young woman told Denise how grateful she was for her comfort. Denise felt encouraged. It was as if God was telling her, “I know you’re there for her.” Denise still meets with the woman regularly.
Perhaps someone reading here has felt like no one noticed the time or services that you were providing to others, maybe in the church as in the ODB example. But if you’ve given God your best gift - and that is yourself - you can be sure, from the promises from God about giving above, that our Heavenly Father, not only sees what we’re giving but He knows that heart behind the gift.
And that’s the only recognition we need, isn’t it?
My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Please take all of me, Lord! … 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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