Week 45 Day 4
Pray:
Ask God to reorient you to Himself. Confess any known sin. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s Word. Pray for others in your life that they, too, would know and love God today.
Read:
2 Cor. 9:6-8 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
Reflect:
There is no promise here, or elsewhere in Scripture, that if you give money away God will replace that money in multiples. God does bless the cheerful, generous giver by “making all grace abound.” As we demonstrate with our practical choices, such as giving, that we trust God above all else, we will have all we need and then some. It doesn’t mean we will have all we desire, if our desires are off track. We will have all we desire, if our desires are properly ordered. Many wealthy people would trade all of their wealth for peace, love, purpose, hope, and deep relationships. Christ provides all of this to those who trust him with their lives and live within the bounds of his will and his ways. “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields — and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30). Obviously, he is not saying that literally you will have hundreds of biological parents and siblings, but rather when you give away what you have for the sake of the gospel, God’s provision more than makes up for the loss. You will have a huge family of believers, closer than biological family often is. You will have resources that are multiplied as you live in Christ’s community. But take note, along with the provision Jesus promised there is also persecution. Who would possibly want such a deal? Anyone who God has revealed himself to would. When we understand who God is and what he has actually promised us, then we will be eager to want the life he offers for us. There will be sacrifice, but there is also abundant provision. There will be persecution, but there is also purpose. Many live to acquire, spend, and save, only to lose, squander, and fail to save their very lives. Jim Elliott, a missionary who lost his life, famously said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.”
Pray:
(Personalize this prayer today; make it specific to the circumstances that face you.)
Ask God to lead you through His Spirit as you go through your day. Ask Him to bring to mind the truth of the gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell Him “Yes” to His will and ask Him for His power and protection to live this “yes.” Ask God to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the good news today.