220. The Lord your God will bless you: God loves a cheerful giver.
19 November 2021
The Lord your God will bless you.
Deuteronomy 15
10 Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.
2 Corinthians 9
7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
I have quoted on fb this story about Femi Otedola after it was shared by a friend.
Femi said:
"I have gone through four stages of happiness in life and finally I understood the meaning of true happiness."
The fourth stage was the time a friend of mine asked me to buy wheelchair for some disabled children. Just about 200 kids.
At the friend's request, I immediately bought the wheelchairs.
But the friend insisted that I go with him and hand over the wheelchairs to the children. I got ready and went with him.
There I gave these wheel chairs to these children with my own hands. I saw the strange glow of happiness on the faces of these children. I saw them all sitting on the wheelchairs, moving around and having fun.
It was as if they had arrived at a picnic spot where they are sharing a jackpot winning.
I felt REAL joy inside me. When I decided to leave one of the kids grabbed my legs. I tried to free my legs gently but the child stared at my face and held my legs tightly.
I bent down and asked the child: Do you need something else?
The answer this child gave me not only made me happy but also changed my attitude to life completely. This child said: "I want to remember your face so that when I meet you in heaven, I will be able to recognise you and thank you once again."
What would we be remembered for in our encounter with others?
Will anyone desire to see our face again where it all matters?
It got me thinking. I pray it does same to everyone."
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38
Siksik, liglig at umaapaw pa.
Who doesn't want that? Yet, the requisite is to give until it hurts.
Luke 21:2-4 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Each of us should give what we have decided in our heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Bless others, and surely the Lord our God will bless us.
"'Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
who conduct their affairs with justice.
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
Praise the Lord.
Blessed are those who fear the Lord,
who find great delight in his commands.
Their children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,
their righteousness endures forever;
their horn will be lifted high in honor.
Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.
Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand."
(Psalm 112:5, 4, 1-2, 7, 9; 1 Chronicles 29:13, 14b). This I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
18 February 2018"
May you be blessed with God's Word.
Maraming salamat.
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