When You Give

 Matthew 6:3,4
But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth…That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

When you give your resources to help someone, don’t go around bragging about it. Let your giving be done without fanfare. God sees your heart, and sees your sacrifice. He knows the motive of the heart is to show kindness and your desire to support the work of the Kingdom. In His own time, He will award you for what you do for others. Give to please God, and not to please man.

God of Mercy

 Psalm 103 
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy...For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him...As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
He is a God of mercy. His love reaches down to anyone who will call on His Name. We who are born in sin are found guilty and wanting. There comes a point in everyone’s life that they become accountable for the sin that dwells in their heart. God and His mercy does not exact judgment on those who have not reached the age of accountability. In His mercy, He sent His Son to die for our sins. Those who fear Him and call on His Name, He removes the guilt and condemnation. He will cast our sins as far as the east is from the west to remember them against us no more.

All Left Behind

 Psalm 49:17 
For when he dies he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. 
From dust we come, and to dust we go. We come into this world with no possessions and when we die we will leave all of our treasures and possessions behind us for someone else to enjoy. The only thing we take with us is our never dying soul. Every human being born into this world was given a soul by the Creator of life. Scripture indicates that only humans have souls and will live for eternity after we die and leave this world. As much as people become attached to animals, the “beast” of this world have no understanding of life beyond this world. Their flesh will return back to the earth, and the story ends. There is no dog heaven, or pet heaven. But, man is created in the image of God and life after death will continue. May we live each day according to God’s plan. Honor Him with our understanding, live for Him with eternity in mind.

Counted Loss for Christ

 Phil 3:7
But what things were gained to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

The things of this world that we often hope and dream for loose their attraction in light of eternity. Coming to the knowledge of knowing Christ, and the living power He provides to every believer is worth all the treasures of this world. The song writer writes, “I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold; I'd rather be His than have riches untold;  I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands.  I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.” We need to get our eyes off this world’s treasures and focus our eyes on Him. “Fix My Eyes on You” another song writer has penned, and count all things loss that I may gain more of the presence of Christ.

He Is Able To Deliver

 Daniel: 3: 17,18
Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us....But if not, be it known unto you, O king, that we will not serve your gods.
God does not always answer our prayers the way we hope He would. Jesus said, Ask and you will receive. What we receive is often not the answer we would expect. The 3 Hebrew children no doubt asked God to deliver them from the hands of their enemy, but they also realized that God may have other plans for them. The attitude of prayers should always be, “Not my will. But your will be done”. God is able to bring deliverance. The 3 Hebrew children did not escape being thrown into the furnace, but God still brought deliverance. He kept the flames from destroying them, and then sent a Comforter to stand by them. We don’t know how things will always work out, but we can trust God that He is able to help us through any situations, and in the end, He will get the glory. Even if God does not answer the prayer of healing, He is still able to bring healing to the heart, and give us peace.