November 4, 2019 LIVING WATER CAC DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE : TOPIC – GOD-PLEASING GIVING — CHEERFULLY AND TIMELY
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THE LIVING WATER CAC
DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
Monday, November 4, 2019
TOPIC – GOD-PLEASING GIVING — CHEERFULLY AND TIMELY
Read Mark 14:3-9
3. And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.
4. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?
5. For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.
6. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
7. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.
8. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
9. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
MEMORISE: So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7)
EXPOSITION
In addition to the afore-discussed principles of God-pleasing giving, we must know that to God, how we give is important than what we give. As a man gives, God instantly inspects the state of the heart to know whether it is done grudgingly or cheerfully. Giving is an element of worship, and worship in the New Testament is not by compulsion. It is an expression of love to God, which should be done joyfully and cheerfully. God loves those who give cheerfully, not grudgingly (Deut. 15:10; Rom. 12:8).
Moreover, the little thing you do in time is far better than the great thing you do, that is not timely. That woman who poured the costly oil on Jesus’ head is our perfect example on giving in time. Jesus himself opened the eyes of the sharply critical people to what she did: ‘For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial’ (Mk. 14:7-8). According to the Jew funeral rites, the corpse of any influential person in the society is sprinkled with aromatic oil before being buried. Those that hurried Jesus to the cross purposed to make His grave with the wicked, but God had designed that He would make His grave with the rich (Isa. 53:9).
The #2,000 given to take care of a man on sick bed has more value than the #2,000,000 spent in his funeral. Whatever you intend to do for God and others, do it at the right time (Eccl. 3:1).
PRAYER POINTS
1. Forgive me, O Lord, of all the grudging giving I have done.
2. I ask for the special grace that will make godly giving part of my daily living.
3. Pray that God should help us to curtail the activities professional fundraiser in our churches tarnishing the image of the Church.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Jer. 23:7 – 25:19; 2 Tim. 4:13 – 4:22; Tit. 1:1 – 1:11
Author: C.A.C WORLDWIDE
Remain blessed!