Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me hear what You would speak to my heart, as I begin my day in communion with You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ...
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back" (Luke 6:37-38).
Yes, Lord. In many ways, what goes around, comes around; and we tend to get back what we dish out. Help me "do to others as (I) would have them do to (me)" (v. 6:31). I need lots of grace, so help me give lots of grace. I need lots of encouragement, so help me give lots of encouragement.
And I sure don't need lots of judgment or condemnation or un-forgiveness or stinginess, so help me not be on the serving end of any of these listed so that I don't have to be on the receiving end. I don't want to reap it, so help me not sow it. I don't want to lay in it, so help me not make a bed out of it. As Your Word warns, "Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you will reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit" (Galatians 6:7-8).
The name for the holiday tomorrow is “Thanksgiving” not Thanksrecieving.” The day after tomorrow is “Black Friday” and it is the ultimate reversal and perversion of real “The” Black Friday, which we call “Good Friday”; the day you Jesus gave your life for me. Blach Friday is also the ultimate reversal and perversion of the message and meaning of the life and message of Jesus. Jesus, Your Black Friday was about giving however today it is about getting. Your Black Friday was about others, however todays Black Friday is about “me”. Christmas is not our birthday, it is yours Jesus. And Christmas was a day God chose to demonstrated extreme giving, the gift of His Son to the world he so loved,. Emanuel, God with us. You Jesus were the ultimate giver, and we who’ll ourselves Christians are called to imitate your life. So as we enter this holiday season of Thanksgiving, and then Christmas that honors your birth, what better way to honor you than be ultimate givers ourselves. As Paul reminds us, “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35) By the power of Your grace, help me sow to the Spirit today. Let me "not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time" (Galatians 6:9). And as I give in Your grace and sow in Your Spirit, help me not hold back but to give extravagantly! . "The one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.... God loves a cheerful give" (2 Corinthians 9:6-7). Let me be a cheerful giver of a good measure of Your grace by Your Spirit today. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
On Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday there are many people and families in your community that are struggling to make ends meet, buy food, pay rent, and pay utilities that out of necessity, will haver to work all day both these days. Waffle House employees, other restaurant workers, retail workers, and others have 12 hour shifts to look forward to tomorrow. Going to one of these businesses with a plate of Thanksgiving leftovers, or desserts with a kind word and prayer would brighten their day. Think of ways you can “give a good measure” to those around you.
My family, I pray you will be an ultimate, extravagant giver of a good measure of God's grace through your life today and this holiday season and reap a good measure of God's grace in the harvest to come, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
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My prayer every morning is, “Please send me the ones no one else wants.”
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My wife Nancy and I are in a season of our ministry of pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over us and that of my family. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation now for next year, or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.