TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY NOVEMBER 5, 2015.
GENEROUS
Liberal in giving or sharing; unselfish; showing kindness to others; showing a readiness to give more of something such as money or time, then is necessary or expected.
Only, they asked that we should remember the poor. Galatians 2:10.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profited me nothing. I Corinthians 13:3
It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35.
Have you ever wondered why believers in Jesus are expected to be generous with the poor? Caring for others and giving to the poor is a repeated theme throughout the scriptures. Jesus demonstrated His love and concern for others and gave us several Biblical directives about being generous to others.
In John 13:34 Jesus said, “A new command I give you, love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another.” To love as Jesus loved requires more than words, it requires action.
God told Moses to communicate to the Children of Israel to give to the poor and the needy. At harvest time the Israelites were to leave the edges of their fields un-harvested to provide food for the needy. When the Apostle Paul was beginning his ministry to the Gentiles, the apostles, James, Peter, and John, instructed him to remember the poor (Galatians 2:10).
And then in Ephesians 4:28 Paul advises that we do something useful with our hands so that we are able to have something to share with others. In Proverbs 25:21 we are told to feed our enemies if they are hungry. In Luke 6:35 Jesus tells us to love our enemies and to do good to them and that is not natural for us to want to do.
As believers we are not only expected but commanded by our Lord to be generous to the poor and needy, to our enemies, and to God’s servants.
The scriptures give us some guidelines on being generous. When we give we are to give in love (I Corinthians 13:3). We are to give cheerfully because God tells us in II Corinthians 9:7 that God loves a cheerful giver. We are to give according to our ability to the poor as recorded in Acts 11:29.
God also tells us that when we give we should give with sacrifice. God will be well pleased. When we are generous to others we will be blessed of God, He will enrich us, and we will be rewarded.
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 1:8:
Hear my son, your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
Thank You for giving me the means and ability to be generous with the poor and needy. May my family be known, in Your sight as a generous family. Thank You for giving so much to us and help us to give even more back to You.
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