Weekday Devotionals
Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers—for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:1-2)
THOUGHTS:
I had a nice chuckle when Pastor Aaron said that at some point Jesus will be like the Capitol One commercial, “What’s in your wallet?” Shortly after, he made his first point. God is relational, not transactional. As I reviewed the message, a thought popped into my head. I was no longer hearing Jesus say, what’s in my wallet, but what’s in my heart? I followed that thought up with the question, “Where does my generosity come from?” Do I view God as transactions? If I do X, will God provide Y? Am I seeking to be known as a generous person? (Tower of Babel/seeking to make a name for myself.) I believe that I can answer no to those questions. I continued by asking, did my parents instill it in me? Am I generous because my wife is generous?
I believe the answer is everything that God has poured into me over the years. He has been generous, merciful, and loving throughout my life. I have experienced this in times of plenty and in lean times. I think that because of this, His generosity bubbles to the surface of my heart.
Here is a story about a generous man. An expert on the law has just asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied with the story of the Good Samaritan. (Luke 10:30-37) Jesus answered by telling a story. “There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him, he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man. “A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning, he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I’ll pay you on my way back.’ “What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?” “The one who treated him kindly,” the religion scholar responded. Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”
I know that this is about loving your neighbor, but if we look at the actions of the “Good Samaritan” we see generosity. The man attacked by robbers had already had two individuals pass him by. The Samaritan reacted to the needs of the man. First, he stopped to render aid to the victim, giving of his time. He then tends to the victim’s wounds by pouring on oil and wine. He then bandaged the wounds. These items would have come from the Samaritan’s personal and limited supplies. He then loads the victim onto his donkey (which meant the Samaritan walked). They go to an inn where the Samaritan continues to care for the victim, and then, pays for the innkeeper to continue taking care of the victim. The Samaritan gave of his time, skills (first aid), supplies, finances, and of his character (He promised to pay for any costs above the money already provided to the innkeeper.) There was no expectation of being reimbursed. He was generous because that was his nature. The verses say that the Samaritan’s heart went out to the victim.
CHALLENGE:
I know that my opening verse might be interpreted as we should help strangers because we might assist angels, but remember what Pastor Aaron said about the angels entering Sodom. He stated that they entered and waited to see what would happen, what was in the hearts of the people of the city.
Ask yourself “What is in my heart?” What do I have/possess that I am afraid to allow God to ask for? It may take time, but if we let God’s generosity/His heart become our heart and our generosity, then there should be nothing that is not His for the asking.
Jesus makes a point about a widow’s heart, her generosity, in Luke 21:1-4. Looking up, He saw the rich people putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in [proportionally] more than all of them; for they all put in gifts from their abundance; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
My closing prayer for you is Psalm 139:23-24.
Search me oh God and know my heart,
Test me and know my anxious thoughts,
Point out anything in me that offends you,
And lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Amen
- Steve Grigg
THOUGHTS:
I had a nice chuckle when Pastor Aaron said that at some point Jesus will be like the Capitol One commercial, “What’s in your wallet?” Shortly after, he made his first point. God is relational, not transactional. As I reviewed the message, a thought popped into my head. I was no longer hearing Jesus say, what’s in my wallet, but what’s in my heart? I followed that thought up with the question, “Where does my generosity come from?” Do I view God as transactions? If I do X, will God provide Y? Am I seeking to be known as a generous person? (Tower of Babel/seeking to make a name for myself.) I believe that I can answer no to those questions. I continued by asking, did my parents instill it in me? Am I generous because my wife is generous?
I believe the answer is everything that God has poured into me over the years. He has been generous, merciful, and loving throughout my life. I have experienced this in times of plenty and in lean times. I think that because of this, His generosity bubbles to the surface of my heart.
Here is a story about a generous man. An expert on the law has just asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied with the story of the Good Samaritan. (Luke 10:30-37) Jesus answered by telling a story. “There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him, he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man. “A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning, he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I’ll pay you on my way back.’ “What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?” “The one who treated him kindly,” the religion scholar responded. Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”
I know that this is about loving your neighbor, but if we look at the actions of the “Good Samaritan” we see generosity. The man attacked by robbers had already had two individuals pass him by. The Samaritan reacted to the needs of the man. First, he stopped to render aid to the victim, giving of his time. He then tends to the victim’s wounds by pouring on oil and wine. He then bandaged the wounds. These items would have come from the Samaritan’s personal and limited supplies. He then loads the victim onto his donkey (which meant the Samaritan walked). They go to an inn where the Samaritan continues to care for the victim, and then, pays for the innkeeper to continue taking care of the victim. The Samaritan gave of his time, skills (first aid), supplies, finances, and of his character (He promised to pay for any costs above the money already provided to the innkeeper.) There was no expectation of being reimbursed. He was generous because that was his nature. The verses say that the Samaritan’s heart went out to the victim.
CHALLENGE:
I know that my opening verse might be interpreted as we should help strangers because we might assist angels, but remember what Pastor Aaron said about the angels entering Sodom. He stated that they entered and waited to see what would happen, what was in the hearts of the people of the city.
Ask yourself “What is in my heart?” What do I have/possess that I am afraid to allow God to ask for? It may take time, but if we let God’s generosity/His heart become our heart and our generosity, then there should be nothing that is not His for the asking.
Jesus makes a point about a widow’s heart, her generosity, in Luke 21:1-4. Looking up, He saw the rich people putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in [proportionally] more than all of them; for they all put in gifts from their abundance; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
My closing prayer for you is Psalm 139:23-24.
Search me oh God and know my heart,
Test me and know my anxious thoughts,
Point out anything in me that offends you,
And lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Amen
- Steve Grigg
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