Better to give

Acts 20:35
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.' "

Do not give so you will receive. Be diligent in providing for the weak. If we were made stronger than another, then we have the power to build them up and restore the weak and give them what they cannot provide themselves. It is our privilege to be made stronger than so many others. It is our privilege to extend the hand of God to others.

I have been blessed this week. Today we come home from this beautiful paradise. One thing that is on my heart is that I am so much stronger than so many others and the gift to stay here in this families home was given a gift to us because they have resources that we do not. What an amazing picture of community and taking care of each other.

Here on Lanai, when you are done drinking your water bottles or your pop or beer, then you gather up your cans and bottles and set them next to trash bins in town. Then those who are less fortunate can take the cans and bottles and provide for their families food and necessities. If you get a change, google map Lanai, Hawaii, check out the satellite photos of the island, it is very small, about 3,000 people live here total. They all take care of each other. Our church has over 1,000 members by itself. What would it look like if we all took care of each other by using our resources to care for one another, what about in our schools?

Dear Lord, I thank you for this vacation time and the many times I was able to reflect on your love and grace. May we all understand our resources are not our own, they are meant to be shared with each other. Thank you for our resources, gifts and talents.

Please pray safe travels as we come home tonight. Thanks.

Giving Day 3 - Cheerfully

2 Corinthians 9:6-11
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ⁹As it is written:
"He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever."^a]">[a] ¹⁰Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

When we give, it is a heart issue. We should not DO it for something in return. However, we should EXPECT something in return because God is faithful. The difference between the two thought processes is that when we DO it for something in return we usually are motivated by what we have in mind to receive. We already know what we are getting. When we expect something in return, we understand that we are giving because we are honoring our God, we do it in the name of our Father, for his glory. Believing in his promises and being faithful to His word, we know there is something in return. We just don't limit God by already having in mind what that something is, when we are getting it, or how it will be given. We just know that we can expect it. By not limiting God in our own little imagination, we open up the opportunity for God to teach us, to grow us spiritually and to pour out blessing we would have never imagined. It makes a huge difference when we give cheerfully.

I think of two occasions that provide wonderful examples for this verse:

My daughter, Hayley, loves to bargain. She and most any other pre-teen on the face of this Earth wants to know what they are getting out of doing something. On occasion, she doesn't ask and that is when I want to bless her abundantly. The times she goes right to what I have asked her to do or give, with a happy heart, I am blessed and I pour out that blessing on her in return.

When Dale and I started to go to church, God began working in my heart to tithe. I am a penny pincher, so imagine how hard that was. We own a business and made a good income, but that was our money, not the churches. Until he showed us that he is truly in control. I won't get into it, that is a different story, another time, but at first I was not cheerful when I gave. It showed. But as my heart softened, I realized it wasn't mine to give anyway, it is all his. As we began to prayerfully decide what to tithe, we began to trust God more and now, I know that he does provide and he is blessed when I do it because I am happy to do it, not wanting something in return, just expecting that there will be blessings poured out.

A good friend of ours who is a pretty new Christ follower said that he wants to give everything he can because he wants to see where God is going to bless him, he wants to see if he can out give God!!!! How awesome is that. He realizes of course that Christ gave the ultimate gift to us, but just the very thought that God is our friend, we are in a relationship with him, just like our other relationships, it is always nice to try to out give a friend.

Dear Lord,
I love that you can be blessed when I give cheerfully. I love the thought of blessing you. Especially because I know you have already blessed me so much. Help me to be able to teach this to my children, the act of cheerful giving. How blessed we are when we realize it is not ours in the first place, frees us up from wanting to hoard it all. Especially when You teach us a lesson on what is yours, not ours. Thank you, Lord for loving me and giving me the opportunity to bless you. Amen.

Giving Day 2

Luke 6:38
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."

This verse makes we want to give all that I have so that the same will be given to me. Yet, my flesh screams out to me that I only have what I have and that I am risking it if I give it all. These days times are tough, they are uncertain. In my minds eye, I begin to think that those who have less than I would probably want to hold on to every bit. But that is not true. In our church, it is reported that there has been an increase in giving. People are understanding that it is God's and we must trust that he will provide for all our needs as a community. Some friends of ours certainly have less than we do, yet, they continue to "out give" us. No, it is not a race or a "keep up with the Robinson's" attitude, but it definitely makes me think that I am not giving enough, that I am living in my flesh and not living out my faith.

With this in mind, is it possible that we also hoard our love for others? When we want to love someone and they hurt us, do we withhold our love? If we give with the measure of "you hurt me so I am not going to love you" then we fail to love with the measure that our God loves.

I think of my recipes at home, some of them say to sift the flour, so it is fluffy and light. When I don't sift it, it is full and heavy. Same with brown sugar. When it is all pressed down, shaken together, it definitely has more volume than the lighter fluffy sifted amount. We are told that we will be given the same measure we give to others. Do you carefully sift through it, making it look like more, or do you make sure it is fully loaded, pressed down and shaken together?

Dear Lord,
Living in the flesh is not the most ideal arrangement that I can think of. If only we could see our futures and know that everything will turn out okay. My heart tells me that you will take care of me and that you will love me no matter what. My heart tells me that it is my responsibility to give to others, give to my church and to give to you all that I am, have and can be. Lord, give us each the knowledge we need to see where we fall short in giving. Help us to see when we are being greedy, when we are expecting more than we are willing to give. You are an amazing God and I praise you for providing far more than I could ever imagine. As I look out at the lanai mountain range, I am overwhelmed with your power, your imagination. Thank you again for the family that has given to us this wonderful place to abide in you. May they be blessed abundantly. Amen.

Giving Day 1

Proverbs 27:24-27

Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
give careful attention to your herds;

²⁴ for riches do not endure forever,
and a crown is not secure for all generations.

²⁵ When the hay is removed and new growth appears
and the grass from the hills is gathered in,

²⁶ the lambs will provide you with clothing,
and the goats with the price of a field.

²⁷ You will have plenty of goats' milk
to feed you and your family
and to nourish your servant girls.

Giving-
I have to admit that this week will probably be my most memorable and favorite writing experience ever. I am right in the middle of the most beautiful display of God's creativeness. Of course, Oregon is splendid, but Lanai, Hawaii is a sanctuary set apart from the rest of the world. We are here because one of God's servants has a heart that gives abundantly, how grateful I am.

As I sit here, I see nothing but vibrant colors, hear birds speaking their own language and then my heart is open to hear God. He speaks in the quiet, when our minds are set on him.

I remember that God will always give us what it is that he can trust us with, what we can handle. Sometimes less than we desire, sometime more than we ever imagined. It is our opportunity to tend to what is given to us from the depth of our hearts. Not run around like a spoiled adolescent. Through taking care of what we have, we will be given more. When we give, like in the verses above, by tending to something, it will grow (physically, spiritually, or mentally.) Eventually what we have tended to begins to give back. Examples of animals, children, gardens, etc... come to mind. So do those that I take under my wing and mentor (and end up learning more from them) and then there are those that are weak and have nothing to give, yet the love they share is far greater than any material thing. When we give, then more than ourselves are taken care of, as in the verses above, the family and the servants are given enough!!

Enough: What a great way of looking at it. Sometimes more would cloud our vision, sometime enough is way less than what we wanted, but really, God is the one that will provide for us when we give to others, when we give to him.

Dear Lord, Breathless, that is what I feel as I look out on this secluded beautiful virtually untouched land. I am so thankful for all you give to us. Reading the history of this Island, I see how you have taken care of the people of the land, even those who do not YET know you. What an amazing God you are to give freely your love and compassion to all. Please work in our hearts to give freely as you do. Lord, I pray especially for the family that made it possible for us to stay in their home here for a week. Please expand their territory, give them blessings that overflow. I pray especially for their children and grand children. Amen.

1 Chronicles 4:10
Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.

Pray for Sue H. this week.