Tag: Love

Giving – Is It Your Best

Well done my good and faithful servant

What does it take to convince us that it is more blessed to give than to receive?  There are opportunities everyday to give generously.   Giving of our time, finance, and kindness.  A generous giving starts in the heart with a desire to honor and glorify God.  Also, within the heart and mind, there is an understanding that all we have are gifts from God and we are just humble servant caretakers of these blessings.  As humble servants and caretakers there is no thought “This Is Mine” but rather a deep thankfulness and awareness from whom these truly belong.  Helping and giving to others with love and joyfulness reflects the condition of the heart.   Serving does not replace giving – Giving does not replace serving –  Serving and Giving do not replace Love.  For one month try giving more than you receive, serving more than being served, loving more than you are loved.

Matthew 26:6
Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her

Deuteronomy 15:12
For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land

Matthew 25:10
And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come

With All Your Heart and Soul

But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord

Love the Lord your God with all your hear and with all your soul. This is the greatest command given to us to follow.  If we follow this command what would we see in the outward appearance of our lives?  Would we worry so much? Would we be blind to the needs of others?  Would our time be spent differently?  Would our generosity be more? Would we be kinder?  Would we see people in a more positive light?  These are questions each of us could ask ourselves.  Everyday we will have opportunity to love Him more and deeper.  Today is a new day, purpose in your heart to love Him more and be wanting to be used by Him for His glory and honor.

Matthew 22:35
And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets

Deuteronomy 6:4
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates

Luke 10:27
And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.

Oh ye of Little Faith

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.

Sometimes I wonder how I can say I know how to pray in Faith.  Scripture says “God can do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine”.  Definitely I have seen God answer many prayers but if I limit what I bring before God because I don’t feel worthy, or wondering if I am asking in line with His word or purpose I am limiting how active my faith is.   How many times do I give up in my prayers because I don’t see them answered in a timeline I want.  How many times do I fall into thinking that God is all powerful and has a plan and purpose for all things so why should I ask – His plan will be done with or without my prayer.  So why pray? – Scripture says – We are encouraged to pray without ceasing. We are to pray for the lost, We are to pray for those who are sick.  We are to pray for wisdom, We are to pray for healing of body and relationships. We are to pray for God’s leading.  We are to pray that our eyes, ears, and heart will be open to this leading.  We are to pray for our leaders. We are to pray for one another.  We are to pray to grow and understand our dependance on God in our life. Do not limit what you bring before God – He can do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine – there is no room for doubting what God can do

Matthew 21:20
When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.

1 Corinthians 13:2
And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends

James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double- minded man, unstable in all his ways

Present with God

How many times do we allow anxious thoughts to  overrun our lives?  How much time do we spend chasing these thoughts over and over again, stacking up more unanswerable questions and concerns?  Why do we fear the unknown reasons, thoughts, and potential actions of others? Scripture never says we will not see trials in our lives but it certainly says that our Father in Heaven will never leave us or forsake us.  We seem to fear the unknown of what man has done or will do over what God has promised He will do?  Do not allow the fear of the unknown rob you from living in the present with God.

Matthew 10:31
Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows

Matthew 6:25
Look at the birds of the air:they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life

Philippians 4:6
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Sacrifice of Fools

Why do we try so hard to earn our way before God?  Do we think we can perform in such a way that it will make us right before God?   This type of thinking/life replaces the work of Christ and dilutes faith to keeping a ledger of the good and bad that we do and serves no purpose before the eyes of God. We can never do enough good to replace Grace.  Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life, no man comes to God but through me.  Choose to humbly confess sin and by faith know it is forgiven rather than trying to replace it with a ledger of good/bad.

Matthew 9:12
“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice. ’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners

Hosea 6:6
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings

1 Samuel 15:22
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams

Ecclesiastes 5:1
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil

Isaiah 1:15
learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow’s cause

The Golden Rule

Many times we forget or are uncertain of just how do we Honor and Glorify God by our actions.  This is a very good reminder.  I know this for a fact, If we are receptive and willing, these opportunities are around us every day.  God, open our eyes and hearts to see what you see and then speak to our heart so that we will humbly obey your leading.

Matthew 7:12
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets

Luke 6:32
“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful

Proverbs 19:17
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will repay him for his deed

Matthew 25:35
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me

Love and Redemption

Thank you Lord for your love and redemption.  Though I have not been faithful and fall short many times you remain faithful and steadfast.  Guide me today and use me for your honor and glory.

Isaiah 63:8

And he became their Savior.

 In all their affliction he was afflicted,

and the angel of his presence saved them;

 in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;

 he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old

Deuteronomy 7:10

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations

Daniel 9:4

I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened