A Joyful Giver

I am a warm weather person. I love nothing more than sunshine and the warmth of the sun on my skin. When autumn rolls around I tend to get in a blah mood. The lack of sunlight I believe plays a part in this; however, the Holidays tend to alleviate that mood and sparks the “Son’s light” within my heart that reminds me of the warm summer sun. I love the large family gatherings, I love decorating for Christmas and I love Christmas music. I know it sounds a bit hokey. It is November 20th and I’ve been listening to Christmas music for the past week and Thanksgiving is next week!

The Holiday season is the season that several various charities have their biggest fundraising campaigns. The Salvation Army will soon have their bell ringers out. Samaritan Ministries has their penny campaign well under way. Second Harvest Food Bank has had their collection boxes in various workplaces for employees to give non-perishable food items. Thank God for these charities and the many more that help people in need. Thank God for the people that take the time to contribute to the charities.

II Corinthians 9:6-7

6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Being a Christian is not taking the easy road a lot of times. The heart of a Christian is often times wounded. Wounded by the world, wounded by adversity, wounded by many other things and it’s easily wounded because it is soft and vulnerable. Not to say it’s not strong, no, but very tender from the many times it’s been touched. I’ve often heard and said such and such is “weighing heavily on my heart.” The heart of a Christian isn’t meant to be hard. It is like the sixth sense in that it feels certain emotions that the brain must then interpret. Things are supposed to touch a Christian in the heart because that is where Jesus is. If your heart is hard, you’re going to miss the message.

The good thing about having a tender heart is that it is pliable. Take for instance a piece of steak. You can take a meat tenderizer and hit that steak a whole bunch of times and it just gets more tender and it never falls apart. The more tender the steak, the better it is right? Take a piece of rock and hit with a hammer and slivers of rock are going to fly off and if you hit it just right, you might make it shatter. Luckily for the hard heart, one of God’s specialties is mending hearts.

The Bible has this to say about a hardened heart.

Psalm 95:8

8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

Proverbs 28:14

14 Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.

Mark 6:52

52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
(They could not hear or see what Jesus was doing because of their hard hearts)

Giving (whether it is money, time, etc.) to someone less fortunate than you, to charities, your church, your neighbor is something that as a Christian should be done joyful. To give grudgingly, cancels out your blessing from God and please note there’s a blessing at the end of verse 7, “…for God loveth a cheerful giver.” What a blessing to know that when you give to something freely and cheerfully, God says, “I love you.”

So while you are out and about doing your Christmas shopping, remember to give cheerfully in whatever you endeavor and you’ll be blessed by God in many different ways.

Would God Really Use Me?

By all “worldly” accounts, I am a loser with a big ole capital “L”. I do not possess a college education nor am I looked to as a leader of anything in today’s society by today’s definitions. Essentially, because of my lack of education, and I assume other unknown reasons, I am often times overlooked. So the burning questions remain, what can I do to make a meaningful difference? Is my intelligence defined by what degree hangs on my wall or how far or how fast I can advance in the rat race of life? I may be a Loser by all worldly regards, but does it really matter to the One who is in control?

Lets examine a few “Losers” in the Bible.

1. Noah: Genesis 6:7 through Chapter 10 talks about Noah. Here this guy is building an Ark when it has never rained on Earth. Everyone probably thought he was crazy. Noah saved the human race and all the animals in the world at that time. How lucky for Noah and his family that he found grace in God’s eyes. The Bible says “and Noah walked with God.” Gen. 6:9.

2. Abraham: The story of Abraham begins in Gen. 12. It shows how God made a covenant with him to make a great nation. Abraham enjoyed such a relationship with God that God came down and talked with him in the form of a man.

3. Moses: The Book of Exodus tells the story of Moses. From the rich house to the poor house. Moses was the adopted son of a princess of Egypt. He went from the King’s table to the scrap table in one day by killing an Egyptian who was beating an Israelite. He came back to Egypt as a servant of God and because he was willing, God used him to free the children of Israel.

4. King David: From scrawny shepherd boy to hero of a nation. 1 Sam. 16:6 begins the story of David. David accomplished many things in his life as well as messed some things up. He was faithful, dependant and willing and that is when David shined the most.

1 Sam. 16:7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as a man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

5. Mary (mother of Jesus): She was an unwed, pregnant woman. Talk about stigma to overcome. From the worldly view, she was pretty bad off. So bad off, Joseph her espoused husband was going to try to get out of the marriage. Mary said that she would be revered by all the world and indeed she is to this very day.

So would God really use a Loser like me? The answer is a resounding yes. He can use me and He can use you. It may not be something that you or I see as earth shattering at the moment we are being used (Does anyone really see their impact?) but at least He can use me and you never know what He has in mind for me or for you for that matter. All it really takes is a willing heart to be shoved out of that comfort zone. God provides the tools for the person to use in what they are to do. For instance, Noah was provided with the knowledge to build the ark. I’m sure the materials showed up as well. He also gathered the animals. How did he do that? Moses was given Aaron to speak for him as well as a staff. There are so many instances in the Bible that seem impossible for this person to have accomplished and yet they did it and it was all possible through God.

Philippians 4:13 (King James Version)

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

When We Fall Down

I am often reminded how inadequate I am as a human being. I have often wondered what my purpose here is on this Earth. Even though I strive to be my very best every day in my walk with God, in my job, with my family, any inkling of the train possibly derailing, can destroy my whole entire sense of self and wellbeing. Many times I somehow manage to simply mess it all up. I wonder why it is?

No one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes. It’s easy to carry around the shame of things that we perceive to be wrong with us or the guilt of mistakes we have made whether they are sins or imagined perceptions of acting or not acting in a given situation. The old accuser reminds us just how inadequate and well, human we really are. That old accuser works day and night 365 days a year, 24/7. He doesn’t rest. The beauty of being a Christian is our mistakes are covered by the Blood of Lamb. When we sin and repent of that sin, Jesus covers our sins with His blood and we receive forgiveness. Jesus is our advocate, He intercedes for us every single day and every single time we mess up. As His children we are not meant to walk around in Satan’s chains. Thank God for Jesus’ intercession on behalf of all of us.

Revelations 12:10

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

1 John 2:1-2

1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

God’s Grace

There are times in our lives that we feel like we have just fallen down and we can’t get up. We are so low to the ground that it seems like we can’t go any lower. We feel so far away from God and His love, we don’t know how to come back. There are things that are beyond our control. The loss of a loved one, a failed marriage, loss of a job, bills that can’t be paid. When something comes along in life that knocks us off our feet, isn’t it good to know that God’s grace is sufficient and will see us through? Just like Job, we should remain faithful to God during these times of need and in all things.

2 Corinthians 9:8

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

What causes us to stumble and fall? Examine your heart and your life and seek out that which is hindering you or causing you to falter. Jesus forgives our sins. How many times? As many times as it takes. Pray for God’s grace and strength to help you through. If you need forgiveness, or you need to forgive someone then don’t wait another second.

Matthew 5:30

And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Luke 17:4

And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

Points to Remember

1. In times of trouble, remain faithful. Remain faithful to God in good times and bad times.

2. Acknowledge and repent of sin.

I heard a preacher once say:

3. When Satan reminds you of your past (or your mistakes), remind him of his future.