5:00am in California... not even.... :) (lol... too bad I don't live there anymore...)
I've had an old Bob Fitts song in my head for a couple of days now; one of the things I love about it is that the lyrics are pretty much straight from Scripture: "And 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." - 2 Corinthians 9:8. If you follow that link, it'll take you to a few different translations of the verse that help you to understand it more fully when you look at all of them and the shades of meanings of different words that can be used... I think my favorite is from the Message - which isn't a translation at all, actually; it's a paraphrase.
It says: "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...." and later, "[He] is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away..."
Wow. In context, it's talking about money, but I suspect it applies to far more than that. So what is it that God has given me that I can give away today? :) What is it for you? Drop me a note and let me know - let's celebrate God's extravagance in our lives together today. Then we all get to Smile. :)
I'll take one of the cliché answers. :) (but it's true, too!) God's given me a love for His Word. Today I get to share that with a few kids by reading them a Bible story and praying with them - and then I get to go to class tonight and share His Word with some friends. I'm taking a preaching class (yikes...). I don't know why. I'm terrified. But there it is. And one of the things I have to do for this class is to memorize Scripture... so I memorized John 1:1-18. It's been a really cool experience, telling John's version of the Christmas Story over and over again to myself and the kids this week as I've been committing it to memory. Sitting with a passage like that - you start to feel it breathe life into you. It's been sweet. :) I'm still a little nervous about telling it from memory to my friends - but they're a pretty gracious bunch. I'll be mocked a bit if I blank out, but it'll be in a good fun. :)
So what about you? How have you been richly blessed, and what can you give away today?
4 comments:
Hope, He has given me hope for the present and for the future...He has given me chances over and over. He has given me life.
And this is the call...to not be the Dead Sea but to incoming and outgoing channels that what He pours into us freely flows out from us...so I will give hope and patience and give of my life today. Thanks, Happy, this was a great devotion to start my day with. 'Til we meet...blessings to you.
Happy, that's so exciting! You go, awesome woman of God! I know you'll be a great preacher. I'm a fan of joy. I love that God gives it to us no matter the circumstances and giving it away is easy! It is also something God uses to set us apart and make those alienated from him sit up and take notice of our lives. He shines in us, we shine for him and the world becomes aware of his radiance. I love it.
P.S. Joshua 1:6-9 is a great one to memorise. It's been God's voice to me throughout my adult life and I have a feeling it may apply to you to!
Faintnot - I'm so glad this blessed you. I love that image you used, of being a channel of what God pours into us. I want to live that way, too.
Rachel - I'm really not sure about the whole preaching thing - but thanks for cheering me on. :) Writing is easier for me - it doesn't involve people looking at you! just at your heart - which is more personal - but you can't see them doing it, so it's less intimidating. tho now that I've said that out loud, it sounds silly. :) anyway, thanks - and thanks for the reminders about joy this week. i actually sent a link to your post on waiting, hoping, and rejoicing to a few friends in the preaching class, and I can tell by some things they've written and said that it impacted them. So thank you for making a bigger splash on this side of the Pond than you knew.... :)
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