Friday, December 25, 2009

Day Twenty-Five: Give the Message of Hope


Give … The Message of Hope

The good news of Jesus Christ—The Message!-begins here… Mark 1:1

With many stories like these, he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. Mark 4:33

God didn't send me out to collect a following for myself, but to preach the Message of what he has done, collecting a following for him. And he didn't send me to do it with a lot of fancy rhetoric of my own, lest the powerful action at the center--Christ on the Cross--be trivialized into mere words. 1Co 1:17

Stay with what you heard from the beginning, the original message. Let it sink into your life. If what you heard from the beginning lives deeply in you, you will live deeply in both Son and Father. 1Jo 2:24

Why do we do what we do? Why have we spent the last twenty-four days thinking and praying about giving? There is only one answer: it is because we believe that there is a message of hope that can save to the utmost all who call on the name of the Lord.

This good message brings life to those who are just existing; it brings hope to those who feel they are going down for the third time, and they are just too exhausted to try anymore; it brings peace to those tangled up in chaos and fear; it brings grace to those who think they have to earn God’s love and favor; it brings truth to those who have lived their lives believing a lie; and it brings forgiveness to those who are bound by their hurt and their sin.

Deliver, impart, provide, supply, and commit – give all you are, give all you have - give until you disappear and all that remains is Jesus.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Day Twenty-Four: Give Love


Give … Love

Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. Eph 5:2

This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples--when they see the love you have for each other. John 13:35

I Corinthians 13 is considered the love chapter. Paul goes into great detail describing the intrinsic characteristics of love: unselfishness, kindness, patience, humility – the list goes on. We are even told that it is greater than faith and hope. Love is written about, sung about, and cried about. We all want love, but what is love?
We say things like, “I love that color,” or “I loved that book.” We use it on a daily basis to express our most basic feelings; but is love - true, deep, holy love - merely a one-dimensional, emotional response? I believe that love is a motivator, a catalyst, and a state of being.

Love motivated Christ to lay down his life. Love propelled him forward under the heavy burden of the cross. Love was born in human form and had a name: it was and still is Jesus.
Love must inspire us to give of ourselves; it must drive us forward, carrying the burdens of others; and it must distinguish us as we are born from above and grow in his likeness.

Father-God, deepen our understanding of Love. Let it never be just a word or an emotion. Let it be the identifiable mark of our relationship with You.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Day Twenty-Three: Give Truth


Give … Truth

God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love--like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. Eph 4:15

But anyone who examines this evidence will come to stake his life on this: that God himself is the truth. John 3:33

Make them holy--consecrated-with the truth; Your word is consecrating truth. John 17:17
Jesus said, "I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. John 14:6

In the gospel of John, Jesus stands before Pilate and tells him that the reason he was born was “to testify to the truth.” Pilate then asks the question heard around the world: what is truth? (John 18:38) People have been searching to answer this question for thousands of years.

Today, truth has become an abstract, grayed into oblivion, left to wander through time and culture. Jesus answered Pilate’s question even before it was asked. After he had washed the disciples’ feet and predicted their betrayal, Jesus comforted them. He said not only was he Life and the only way to the Father, but that he was literally the Truth. Not a way to know the truth or a path to the truth – Jesus made the bold statement that he was the embodiment of Truth – period.

Giving truth is giving Jesus through your actions. Speaking truth is speaking love through your words. Living truth is living out the mission of His Life.

Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and it is that truth that will set you free. (John 8:32)

Father-God, You are the Truth that opens blind hearts and closed minds. You have given substance to abstraction and color to a graying world.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Day Twenty-Two: Give Wisdom


Give … Wisdom

Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. Jas 3:13,17

Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart; a wise person draws from the well within. Pr 20:5

We all desire to be wise – make wise decisions, think wise thoughts, speak wise words. We sometimes think that if we can just gain enough knowledge, we’ll eventually become wiser. But knowledge is merely the circumference of wisdom, only coating the surface. Wisdom comes from a deeper place – a place of continuous spirituality, a place of deep, contemplative thought, and a place of prudent, ethical choices.

Wisdom is skillful intelligence that not only contains essential natural qualities, but contains the unnatural breath of the Eternal Creator. Wisdom is the place where heaven touches earth and the very essence of God is shared.

Father-God, fill me to overflowing with Your Spirit, create in me a clean, wise heart so that I may share with deep understanding and conviction.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Day Twenty-One: Give Guidance


Give … Guidance

You're my cave to hide in, my cliff to climb. Be my safe leader, be my true mountain guide. Ps 31:3

But I'll take the hand of those who don't know the way, who can't see where they're going. I'll be a personal guide to them, directing them through unknown country. I'll be right there to show them what roads to take, make sure they don't fall into the ditch. These are the things I'll be doing for them-- sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute." Isa 42:16

Have you ever been in a strange place and had to rely on a guide book? I have. It contains maps of highways to help you get around, reviews on hotels and restaurants, and critiques of places of interest– everything you need to know to have a good time.

As a Christian, our guide book is the Bible – it has everything we need to know to have a good time: life-maps that help us get around, reviews on rest and provision, and commentaries of the interesting places God will take us in our walk with Him.

If we follow God as our personal guide, we will never get lost. As others see us following Christ, we, in turn, become a guide for them and so on. Commit yourself to closely following Jesus – the direction and sureness of someone else’s path may depend on it.

Father-God, guide me in the way I should go. Minister your instruction to me as I travel on the path of life. May I guide as I am lead.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Day Twenty: Give Blessings


Give … Blessings


God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. 2Co 9:8
God's best to you! Christ's blessings on you! Phm 1:3

Give freely and spontaneously. Don't have a stingy heart. The way you handle matters like this triggers GOD, your God's, blessings in everything you do, all your work and ventures. De 15:10

And God bless Mommy and Daddy, and my brother, Jack, and my dog, Sam. From an early age, parents teach their children to pray before going off to bed. What do we begin with? We teach them to ask for God to bless others. Deep down we know that to be blessed is a good thing – it means peace, prosperity, and benefits.

In the Old Testament if you had good health, many children, and a plentiful harvest you were considered blessed by God. Ill health, however, barrenness and failed crops meant that you had somehow disobeyed God and were cursed. This direct “it is or it isn’t” was easy to identify. But today, it’s not always so cut and dried. Many devout Christians battle illnesses, are not able to have children and have dealt with financial difficulties.

Are these people excluded from God’s blessings? Certainly not! The blessings that come from God are not restricted to material possessions and outward signs. It is true that if we have committed our all to God that He will provide all of our needs. But the true nature of blessing encompasses the peace that passes all understanding, the prosperity of well-being and inner health, the benefit of Christ’s sacrifice, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. The call is to look beneath the surface and go deeper.

Father-God, I bless your name. You are the God of enough. Show me how to be a blessing to someone in need.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Day Nineteen: Give Faith


Give … Faith

So, my friends, this is something like what has taken place with you. When Christ died he took that entire rule-dominated way of life down with him and left it in the tomb, leaving you free to "marry" a resurrection life and bear "offspring" of faith for God. Ro 7:4

Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Ro 15:1

For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love. Ga 5:6

We express faith on a daily basis: faith that the mechanic who fixed our brakes did a good job; faith that the meal we are eating in our favorite restaurant was prepared with the freshest ingredients; faith that the chair we are about to sit in was built correctly. Faith is often perceived as an intangible abstract – hard to understand – easily misunderstood.

Faith as small as a mustard seed able to toss a mountain into the sea? Faith able to open blind eyes and unstop deaf ears? Such a powerful aspect of belief, but such a difficult thing for our finite minds to grasp.

One meaning of faith in scripture is fidelity. In the natural, fidelity has to do with the degree an electronic system is able to accurately reproduce the sound or signal that it is receiving. Could faith simply be the outward reproduction of our relationship with God?
When we are “plugged in” to God and receiving his “signal,” allowing the current of the Holy Spirit to flow through us, what is expressed is faith –large enough to move mountains, powerful enough to express love.

Father-God, I believe in You. I trust your holy character. I open my heart to receive your love. Release your mountain-moving power within me.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Day Eighteen: Give Kindness


Give … Kindness

She said, "Oh sir, such grace, such kindness--I don't deserve it. You've touched my heart, treated me like one of your own. And I don't even belong here!" Ru 2:13

Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God's pure kindness. Then you'll grow up mature and whole in God. 1Pe 2:2


So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Col 3:12

Romans 2:4 tells us that it is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance. His mercy and unchanging love urge us toward him and compel us to lay all before him. As Christ’s sacrifice opens to door to heaven, we are greeted by a heavenly Abba-father.

But sometimes our human understanding gets in the way because our belief about what is kindness does not comes from God’s word, but merely from our personal experience. Have you ever tried to show kindness by telling the truth in love only to be met with judgment and attitude?

A great many in the world feel that Christian kindness does all things for all people all the time. But God’s kindness is not a Santa-Clause, genie-in-a-bottle-grant your-every-wish type of kindness, but a kindness rooted in holy righteousness, divine love, and eternal purpose. “Drinking deep of God’s pure kindness” will fill us with holy kindness and will clothe and equip us to do good works.
Father-God, your kindness draws me close and wraps around me. I lean into your compassion embrace, stretch out my arms, and invite the world in.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Day Seventeen: Give Support


Give … Support

Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees.

Job 4:4
When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O LORD, supported me. Ps 94:18

There are many different aspects to support. There is monetary support, emotional support, physical support and spiritual support. We give money, lend an ear, provide a help, and say a prayer. Whether we are supported by kindly actions, loving words or heartfelt gestures, human nature responds positively to genuine support. But do we really understand how utterly necessary it is to lend an all-inclusive support? The kind that draws its strength and purpose from God?


Think about living in a house, under a roof that was not properly supported. Would you feel safe? Would you sleep peacefully knowing that at any moment the roof could literally cave in on you? It is a matter of degree. Lending just a little, superficial support when what is needed is full-commitment support is like making the beams in a house out of balsa wood. There is an appearance of support but not enough to make those within the house feel safe and valued.


Support that is given with the right motive and drawn from the right source has the ability to transform those who receive it. If you give monetary support, give with all your heart; if you give emotional; support give with all your soul; if you give physical support, give until it hurts; and if you give spiritual support, give until you touch the very throne of God.


Father-God, your love lifts me above the storm. Your strong arms support and cradle me. May Your arms be my arms as I give support to others.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Day Sixteen: Give Friendship


Give … Friendship

Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul. Pr 27:9
The full meaning of "believe" in the Scripture sentence, "Abraham believed God and was set right with God," includes his action. It's that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named "God's friend." Jas 2:23

"When the friend I plan to send you from the Father comes--the Spirit of Truth issuing from the Father--he will confirm everything about me.” John 15:26

There are many different types of friendships written about in the Bible: human friendship, friendship with God, and an intimate, inner friendship with the Holy Spirit. Human friendship is essential. God designed us to need each other and to develop healthy relationships. But what is friendship really?


To grasp the full meaning we can refer to the trilogy by Tolkien, Lord of the Rings. The first book, Fellowship of the Ring, follows unlikely souls who all have one common goal: to see that the ring is destroyed. Through intense adversity, this group of disconnected individuals develops into a devoted, faithful family. The goal gave vision and the struggle offered opportunity; as personal fears and hopes were exposed and selfless acts were performed, friendships were forged. Struggle + vulnerability +selflessness + shared Vision = friendship.


Father-God, you have called us friends. Teach us to be there for others the way you are there for us.

Day Fifteen: Give Grace


Give … Grace

Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. Eph 4:29(New Revised Standard Version)

I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. Ro 12:3

Anyone who has ever had a bill knows what a grace period is. It is the time between when the bill is due and the time when you will be charged a late fee. Grace is extended – you are given time to get your resources together so you can pay what is owed. The kind of grace we often extend to others can sometimes feel more like the grace period of a credit card company than the unmerited grace of God. Grace with the condition of repayment. I will give you a break, but remember, there is a catch. The grace we receive from God is a gift – we haven’t earned his favor, we didn’t deserve to be saved.

The goal is to extend this kind of supernatural grace to others, through our actions, attitudes, and words. But there is catch to this kind of grace, too: It is only by God’s grace that we can extend God’s grace. Without an understanding of what God has done for us, it is impossible to bring life-changing grace to the world.

Father-God, thank you for the graciousness of your gifts. Help me to grasp how deep, how wide, how, long and how great is your loving grace toward me.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Day Fourteen: Give Direction


Give … Direction

You've been a good apprentice to me, a part of my teaching, my manner of life, direction , faith, steadiness, love, [and] patience 2Ti 3:10

You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. Eph 4:4

Do you have a good sense of direction? If you get lost, are you able to quickly get back on track? Some people joke about a man’s apparent dislike for asking for directions when lost, but, in reality, the tendency to want to find our own way back and resist direction transcends gender.

It is a garden-sin, infused deep within the human heart and mind. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and distanced themselves from His intended direction for mankind, a rift was created – man was now on his own track, going in the opposite direction – away from intimacy, away from connection, and away from the Father’s embrace.

Fortunately for the human race, God created a way to find us, turn us around, and direct us back to the garden where relationship and intimacy could be restored. Direction requires a compass. Where is your true north? Where are you headed?

Father-God, lead me by your gracious hand into the depths of your rest. Direct my path and lead me in the way I should go. Show me how to take others along.

Day Thirteen: Give Encouragement


Give … Encouragement

Traveling through the country, passing from one gathering to another, he gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope. Ac 20:2

My sad life's dilapidated, a falling-down barn; build me up again by your Word. Ps 119:28

Encouragement is a concrete action, not an abstract notion. Encouraging words can lift the heart and bring release from distress. But words are only half the story. When David was at his lowest, he encouraged himself in the Lord (1 Sa 30:6). What did he do? He got up, washed and clothed himself – there was a very natural application to the very spiritual reason he had to be encouraged: he was loved by an almighty, all-loving, eternal God.

When we give encouragement, we should remember there must be a words-in-action counterpart to just the words. New Testament encouragement not only refers to urging, entreating, and inviting, but to calling to one’s side. This infers action – come with me, work with me – I will walk by your side and help strengthen your steps – I will feed you the truth of God and be by your side – I will encourage your heart, your soul and your mind.

Father-God, I receive the encouragement of your Spirit in my life. Increase my understanding, strengthen my heart, and show me how to live and breathe your life-giving encouragement.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Day Twelve: Give Confidence


Give … Confidence

Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence. 1Co 10:12

I have, in fact, the greatest confidence in you. If only you knew how proud I am of you! 2Co 7:4

Giving or instilling confidence in someone can be a daunting task. On the natural level, our confidence comes from a positive sense of self-worth. If we feel we can do something well, we have confidence. But if we have had limited success in life, our confidence level can be quite low. Have you ever had someone tell you that you did a great job and found you just couldn’t believe them? It always seems to be easier to believe the negative over the positive every time. But why is this?


Quite often it is because the basis for our confidence is our perception and experience. Because what makes up human confidence can be so unstable and inconsistent, Paul tells us not to focus on it at all. Our confidence and assurance about ourselves and others is to be rooted in God – we are to be confident because we trust in a trustworthy God. He is the foundation of our confidence – we can do all things –why? Because it is Christ who strengthens us (Php 4:13). So what is the practical application when trying to give someone a sense of confidence?


Remember where your own confidence comes from: you are able because Christ in you makes you able; you are valuable because God loved you so much that he died for you to provide a way to be with you forever; you are strong because God in you gives you strength; you have purpose because no one can do the work that God has prepared for you to do.


Father-God, you are the sure foundation of my confidence. Help me not to build up a personal Tower of Babel in myself and others; instead, help me to yield up a humble heart that finds its worth in you.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Day Eleven: Give Comfort


Give … Comfort
We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort--we get a full measure of that, too. 2Co 1:5
Jesus was quick to comfort them: "Courage! It's me. Don't be afraid." Mark 6:50

When Jesus spoke these words to his disciples they were in a boat in the middle of a lake, straining against the power of the wind. They were on their own, and the miracle of the multiplied loaves and fishes had not yet registered. When Jesus strolled by them, walking on the water, they were terrified. Who wouldn’t be? The last thing they expected was to see was Jesus-walking on the water-getting into their boat-and calming the raging seas.
Mark tells us that Jesus immediately sensed their fears and comforted them. How did he do it? By identifying himself, “It’s me” and by acknowledging their fears, “Don’t be afraid.”
When we give comfort to someone, we need to consider whether we bring the calming power of Christ into the situation and identify His concern for their heart or merely grant a momentary and transitory respite to someone’s grief. The call to comfort is clear; comfort is a person – Jesus – and He is calling, “It’s me. Don’t be afraid.”

Father-God, Help me to show you to others and to bring your comforting words and your ever-lasting compassion into their lives.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Day Ten: Give Peace


Give … Peace


Shining on those in the darkness, those sitting in the shadow of death, then showing us the way, one foot at a time, down the path of peace. Lu 1:79

Jesus repeated his greeting: “Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you." John 20:21

I come from the generation who waved the peace sign like a flag. The peace sign was given instead of a handshake and the byword of the day was, “Give peace a chance.” Long before The Beatles immortalized those words in a song, Jesus sang peace over all he met: he spoke peace to those in distress (Luke 7:50), peace to the disciples as they were hiding behind locked doors (John 20:19), and peace to the tumultuous, raging seas (Mark 4:39).
True peace is not a hand gesture or a phrase in a song. It is a gift. In John 14:27, Jesus said, “I'm leaving you well and whole. That's my parting gift to you.- peace.” As with any gift of God, peace is meant to be shared. But how do we give peace? We give it through our words, our actions, and our attitudes. To bring order to chaos, to bring assurance to doubt, to bring stillness to the inner rage – these are just some of the ways to give the gift of peace.

Father-God, I embrace your gift of peace and I rest secure in your promise. You have overcome the world, and it is well with my soul.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Day Nine: Give Patience


Give … Patience

There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us. Ro 5:3
… and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. Ro 5:4

Oh, that patience could be sprinkled on us from above like fairy dust. How many of us have prayed for patience just to have the very circumstance we prayed about get worse. Our frustration comes from a misunderstanding of how patience comes and grows.


Galatians 5:22 identifies patience as a fruit of the Spirit. In the natural, fruit is an outgrowth of a tree; the fruit is not placed on the tree like a Christmas decoration– it is the direct result of the nature of the tree. An apple tree grows apples, an orange tree-oranges and so on. And if the tree is has a disease or needs to be pruned, the quality of the fruit will be affected, perhaps completely limiting the tress’ ability to produce anything.


As we develop our relationship with God, our old natures are “pruned” away, allowing for the Spirit within us room to produce not only patience, but all the other gifts of the Spirit. So what does it mean to “give” patience? It is the giving of second chances. It is the timelessness of gracious waiting. It is the calm of Christ within someone’s storm.



Father-God, your never-ending patience inspires and propels me to extend a patient hand to an impatient world. May this fruit in me be pleasing to the eye and nourishing to the heart.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Day Eight: Give Money


Give … Money

Then he saw a poor widow put in two pennies. He said, "The plain truth is that this widow has given by far the largest offering today.” Lu 21:2-3

The first thing that usually comes to mind when the subject of giving is brought up is money. It is the easiest and the hardest thing to give. Easy because writing a check or opening our wallet takes a limited amount of time and effort. Difficult because for some of us it is our security, the thing that allows us to have our needs met.
The widow in the gospels gave all she had and was singled out by Jesus for her generous heart. The amount she gave was relative to her trust in God. She could give beyond her means because she understood that the God who cared for the sparrows and clothed the lilies in the field was the same God who cared and provided for her.
Money is merely one vehicle through which we can mirror the sacrificial generosity of Jesus.

Father-God, you are the giver of all good things. You have provided the job through which I am able to give. May the openness of my heart be reflected in the openness of my wallet.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Day Seven: Give Safety


Give … Safety


I sing to GOD the Praise-Lofty, and find myself safe and saved. 2Sa 22:4
GOD's a safe-house for the battered, a sanctuary during bad times. Ps 9:9
You're my cave to hide in, my cliff to climb. Be my safe leader, be my true mountain guide. Ps 31:3

Back in 1943, Abraham Maslow wrote about the human condition. In his hierarchy of needs, Maslow puts the need for safety right after the most basic needs for air, food, and water. Those needs involve our work, our possessions, our family, our health, and our property. When we feel afraid in any one of those areas, we react in a fight or flight mentality – striking out or running away. Living in fear stunts our ability to grow not only in our humanity, but in our spirituality.

Fear creates walls which prevent freedom of movement and growth. When God is our sanctuary, a sure security takes hold and becomes the foundation for our peace amidst turmoil. This inner sense of safety exudes a calmness to a shattered world in distress.

Father-God, you are my sure tower, my place of safety and peace. I give you my fears, and I lay down in secure peace.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Day Six: Give Foregiveness


Give … Forgiveness

So if you forgive him, I forgive him. Don't think I'm carrying around a list of personal grudges. The fact is that I'm joining in with your forgiveness, as Christ is with us, guiding us. 2Co 2:10

One of the greatest gifts we have been given by God has been forgiveness. By Christ’s sacrifice, we have been cleansed from all unrighteousness – we have been forgiven. What wonderful freedom there is when forgiveness has been set free to restore and release those held captive. But if it’s so great, why do we have such trouble with it?

The human heart has struggled with this concept since the garden: does forgiving someone mean that I have to forget what they did? If I forgive, does that mean I am saying that the offense what no big deal? We want our pain validated. We want those who offended and hurt us to feel the weight of the pain they caused. Not letting go and forgiving does not give us what we say we want. It only makes us more of a prisoner, whose chains are now heavier than before.

Why does this happen? Because there is a spiritual principle in place – simply stated, unforgiveness leads to death. Whether it is spiritual death because of sin or emotional and relational death, there is no moving forward without forgiveness.

Father-God, help me to forgive others as You have forgiven me. I lay my wounded heart before you to heal and restore. I forgive.

Day Five: Give Rest


Give … Rest
I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ, God's great mystery. Col 2:2

Rest seems to be the often elusive aspect of our Christian experience. Matthew 11:28 has always been one of my favorite scriptures: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.” I believe the difficulty comes because we don’t really know what “rest” means.

So the bigger questions comes - how do we give what we do not have or do not understand? The reality is that we can’t. One of the unusual ways God began to show me what it meant to rest was when He had me meditate on all of the meanings of the word. As a noun, rest means breathing space, tranquility, peace as well as surplus, footing and support.

When we live our life grounded and immersed in Christ, it is He who provides a sure foundation where regardless of our circumstances we can live in peace and tranquility. As a verb, rest means a dreamy, drowsy nap as we rely and reside. It is the picture of a dependent, trusting child resting in the loving embrace of the Father. Rest is merely a state of being – the state of being in Christ.

Father-God, help me understand the nature of rest so that your very presence in me may touch another.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Day Four: Give Hope


Give … hope

He puts poor people on their feet again; he rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope, Restoring dignity and respect to their lives-- a place in the sun!
1Sa 2:8


In order to give hope, we need to understand hope. In the Bible, it can mean not only a refuge or a confidence, but an attached cord of expectancy. This meaning, above all the others, shows the inner necessity of holy hope.
Before sin entered the world, the hope of the human race was “attached” to the Creator – hope for sustenance, hope for completion, hope for eternity. After sin, the cord of our hope shifted. No longer in a state of innocent communion with God, we began to place our hope in ourselves, in relationships, in “fate.”

What kind of hope will you pass on? A worldly hope that the universe will somehow smile on you? Or will it be a hope attached to the very One who has the power, mercy, and grace to work all things for good? It is only this kind of hope that is life-changing and limitless.

Father-God, I place my hope in You, in your Word, and in the purity and truth of your character. Help me to birth holy hope in others.

Day Three: Give Time



Give … Time
I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving. 2Co 9:7

“I don’t have time” seems to be the mantra of our lives. We have too much to do and too little time in which to do it. Whenever we think of giving, money is the first thing that comes to our minds. But what about giving the gift of time? I’m not talking clocks or watches here. I mean setting aside time like a gift – an hour helping an overwhelmed young mother with her laundry, or an afternoon tea with a new neighbor.
I know what you’re thinking: “I’m too busy-I don’t even have enough time for myself!” Start with the time God gives you.- Use the time God has already placed in your hands. He is, after all, the eternal, author of time.

Father-God, open my eyes to those lost moments that could lead someone towards eternity.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Day Two: Give a Smile


Give … a smile

And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you're really serving God. Eph 6:7

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God-- soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God. Ps 42:11

Gelotologists study the effects of laughter and humor on our physical frame. Whether it is increasing our ability to endure pain to boosting our immune system, it has been found that a happy disposition translates into health. So how do we “give” a smile to someone? And is a smile really a gift?

Spend some time in a grocery store around dinner time. Look at the faces of hungry, tired people wandering aimlessly down the aisles or standing in the checkout line. Make eye contact. Smile. Not a wide-eyed, creepy I-know-where-you- parked-your-car kind of smile. Just a hello-how-are-you smile. It can make someone’s day, and let them know that they matter.

Father-God, so many times I have felt your heavenly smile and at once, my heart was lifted. Help me to bring your light to someone today through the grace of a simple smile.