Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- November 23, 2010
Christians give because they have so much to be grateful for. Our gratitude starts with our salvation in Jesus, as He saves us from our sin and saves us from eternity without God. New life in Christ creates an abundance of grace that gives us the faith, love, joy and hope to represent Jesus to a wandering world. Gratitude begins with God’s goodness.
“What shall I return to the LORD for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD” (Psalm 116:12-13).
A grateful person is not concerned about what they can get, but only what they can give. As gratitude makes its way into the fabric of our faith we voluntarily engage the needs of others. It may be a work associate who needs help reaching a deadline, a mission trip to dig a water well for the poor, an unwed relative who needs a baby shower or foster parents that need a weekend break. Grateful service to the needy grows our faith.
“If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” (Isaiah 58:10).
Furthermore a grateful man or woman sees their service on behalf of God as a privilege. Like a patriotic serviceman they don’t wait to be drafted, rather they enthusiastically enlist into the Lord’s army. A grateful child of God proudly represents heaven (his home country) in battle against the enemy and in care for the bed ridden and walking wounded.
Gratitude gives us a pure motivation to pour our lives into the lives of those seeking God. So we aggressively give, because the Lord has abundantly given to us. He gives us peace, so we extend peace. He gives us more money, so we generously give money. He freely gives forgiveness, so we offer perpetual forgiveness. Gratitude actively gives God the glory.
“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” (2 Corinthians 9:12).
What is the depth of my gratitude to God? Is my giving motivated by gratitude to Him?
Related Readings: Genesis 47:11-12; Psalm 142:7; Philippians 2:25; Titus 3:14
Boyd Bailey is the author of Wisdom Hunters daily devotional and two devotional books, Infusion and Seeking Daily the Heart of God
