GIFT TO THE GIVER
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Verse for Today
Romans 11:35 - Who has ever given to God that God should repay him?
The religions of the world teach that man should give to God so that he will get blessings from God. So there is a big business going on around the world where people give to religions with the thinking that they are giving to God. But God does not desire any thing from man, because God does not lack any thing. He owns the whole universe and so no one can give any thing as if God exists on the mercy of these givers. This truth leads us to another truth which tells us that God doesn't give man any thing on the basis of what he is trying to give God, because no one can give in any large measure to the creator and sustainer God to make him qualified to get any thing back from God. God does not need any thing from us and His giving is not on the basis of the small coins we give Him, but on the basis of His character of being a giver. He gives on the basis of His mercy and according to His measure. He gives in a lofty manner and spreads His goodness to all humanity very liberally. We do not need to please Him by giving any thing to Him in expectation of any thing in return. When God gave to man, He gave the best that Heaven had, and that was His Only Begotten Son as a sacrifice for the sins of man so that man will have a way to get back to God. He has given His Son to all, and in and through Him, God will give us every thing we need for our life and devotion. Our responsibility is to receive the gift God has given us and respond accordingly. We ought to give ourselves to God's purposes in the world on the basis of what God has given us and not the other way around.
Dear friend, have you received God's gift of the Savior and the salvation and taken it as God's special gift to you? If so, it means that He has purchased you from the clutches of sin and Satan. Now you are not yours, but belong to God. He has put the seal of His Spirit on you and so no one else can take you away from God. But, even though you are God's, He will not take you by force, and wants you to give yourself to Him as a sacrifice. He will accept only voluntary gifts and will not take you by force even though you are His. If you give yourself to Him, He will receive your consecration and use you the way He wants. He will put you to best use whenever and wherever He is pleased and will take glory out of your life. While He makes use of you, He will meet all your temporal needs for food, shelter and clothing so that you can continue to live a life of full surrender to His will. So, your life is not one where you give God some 'bribery' in order to get a few material favors from Him. God is not in this kind of a worldly business of taking some small gift from you as a means to 'bless' you. In fact, He has already blessed you with all the blessings of the Heavenly places, and there is nothing to add to it. The only blessing you can have is to pass the blessings you have received from Him on to others and thus become a blessing to the people around you. But if you have not given yourself to God as a token of your gratitude and worship, you are a debtor to Him. Remember, whatever He has entrusted with you has made you His steward and He expects you to manage all these resources for the Master to get all the credit and benefit. By the way, have you given yourself willingly and joyfully to God who already owns you? It involves your whole body, mind and heart, all that you have which He has given you, and all that you are. If you have given yourself to God, then you are living on God's resources and time for Him. All that is pleasing to God is what ought to please you and you are satisfied with all that He allows you to pass through. Are you a satisfied person today because you are expected to live on God's terms and agenda?
Job 41:11 - Who has a claim against (God) that I must pay? Everything under Heaven belongs to Me.
Thought for Today
When I live daily on God's terms, how can I be less than the happiest and most contended person on the face of the earth?
Verse for Today
Romans 11:35 - Who has ever given to God that God should repay him?
The religions of the world teach that man should give to God so that he will get blessings from God. So there is a big business going on around the world where people give to religions with the thinking that they are giving to God. But God does not desire any thing from man, because God does not lack any thing. He owns the whole universe and so no one can give any thing as if God exists on the mercy of these givers. This truth leads us to another truth which tells us that God doesn't give man any thing on the basis of what he is trying to give God, because no one can give in any large measure to the creator and sustainer God to make him qualified to get any thing back from God. God does not need any thing from us and His giving is not on the basis of the small coins we give Him, but on the basis of His character of being a giver. He gives on the basis of His mercy and according to His measure. He gives in a lofty manner and spreads His goodness to all humanity very liberally. We do not need to please Him by giving any thing to Him in expectation of any thing in return. When God gave to man, He gave the best that Heaven had, and that was His Only Begotten Son as a sacrifice for the sins of man so that man will have a way to get back to God. He has given His Son to all, and in and through Him, God will give us every thing we need for our life and devotion. Our responsibility is to receive the gift God has given us and respond accordingly. We ought to give ourselves to God's purposes in the world on the basis of what God has given us and not the other way around.
Dear friend, have you received God's gift of the Savior and the salvation and taken it as God's special gift to you? If so, it means that He has purchased you from the clutches of sin and Satan. Now you are not yours, but belong to God. He has put the seal of His Spirit on you and so no one else can take you away from God. But, even though you are God's, He will not take you by force, and wants you to give yourself to Him as a sacrifice. He will accept only voluntary gifts and will not take you by force even though you are His. If you give yourself to Him, He will receive your consecration and use you the way He wants. He will put you to best use whenever and wherever He is pleased and will take glory out of your life. While He makes use of you, He will meet all your temporal needs for food, shelter and clothing so that you can continue to live a life of full surrender to His will. So, your life is not one where you give God some 'bribery' in order to get a few material favors from Him. God is not in this kind of a worldly business of taking some small gift from you as a means to 'bless' you. In fact, He has already blessed you with all the blessings of the Heavenly places, and there is nothing to add to it. The only blessing you can have is to pass the blessings you have received from Him on to others and thus become a blessing to the people around you. But if you have not given yourself to God as a token of your gratitude and worship, you are a debtor to Him. Remember, whatever He has entrusted with you has made you His steward and He expects you to manage all these resources for the Master to get all the credit and benefit. By the way, have you given yourself willingly and joyfully to God who already owns you? It involves your whole body, mind and heart, all that you have which He has given you, and all that you are. If you have given yourself to God, then you are living on God's resources and time for Him. All that is pleasing to God is what ought to please you and you are satisfied with all that He allows you to pass through. Are you a satisfied person today because you are expected to live on God's terms and agenda?
Job 41:11 - Who has a claim against (God) that I must pay? Everything under Heaven belongs to Me.
Thought for Today
When I live daily on God's terms, how can I be less than the happiest and most contended person on the face of the earth?
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