Week of September 1
The Joy of Giving Perhaps there was a time in your life when you made a bold pledge to God, vowing to give Him all that you are and all that you have. But then you were drawn off course and ended up forgetting you made this promise.
As believers intent on reflecting the goodness of God’s grace, we must learn what it means to be grace givers—people who give out of nothing but love for the One to whom they give. Many Christians give because the Bible says to do it, but those who have found the secret of giving know it is more than just duty that sparks their hearts to give.
They give because God has first given to them. He is the One who gives and keeps on giving His love and so much more to us.
When we emulate God’s love to others, we are doing the very thing He has commanded us to d to love and to extend His grace and forgiveness even to those who hurt us. When we do this, His heart is warmed by our actions.
Simply modeling God’s grace out of obligation will not last long. God sees the motives of our hearts. However, when we seek to live according to the model He has given us through Jesus Christ and out of pure love for Him, God is honored. When we give to
God and to others out of love—not out of duty—those around us will see our hearts aflame for Christ and be changed by our testimony.
Christ gave more to the world than anyone else has given. He yielded His own pure life to be sacrificed so that others may come to know Him intimately and experience His gracious gift of salvation. And the truth is: Jesus Christ is still giving Himself to us each day.
Prayer: Lord, instill in me the passion to give as freely as Christ gave, not out of duty, but out of love. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity (2 Corinthians 8:2).
The Holy Spirit possesses a dynamite-like power that works within a believer to blast out anything that is unlike God. Michael Youssef explores this topic in our free resource this month—”Dynamite Power.” Download it today.
By Passionately Proclaiming Uncompromising Truth, Leading The Way is revolutionizing lives at home and around the world. Discover more at www.leadingtheway.org.
Today, we live in a culture that is increasingly hostile to biblical values. It takes great courage and faith to live as a follower of Christ in a world characterized by moral depravity, injustice, idolatry, and more…but it is possible!
Dr. Michael Youssef invites you to take a walk through the book of Daniel with him. In Leading The Way Through Daniel, the first volume of the Leading The Way Through the Bible commentary series, you will discover how a man of God lived a godly life in a godless culture.
Like Daniel, we are living by faith in a faithless culture. Leading The Way Through Daniel equips you to stand for God’s truth despite great opposition. This timely devotional book is ideal for personal or group use.
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