Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 37:20-26
Ps 37:20-26
20 But the wicked will perish: The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish--vanish like smoke. 21 The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; 22 those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off. 23 If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; 24 though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. 25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. 26 They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.
Matt 5:3-6
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
The Bible does not teach the popular idea that by serving God we will be made rich in material things or that God blesses us physically in proportion to how much we give to some ministry, church or person. The Word does teach that God will bless us for being generous, kind, loving and compassionate but not always in material things. Jesus and Paul refer to this as “laying up treasures in heaven”, an investment that will not fade, rust or spoil. Even a cup of cold water given in the name of Jesus (to his honor) will not go unnoticed by our heavenly Father.
Having said all of this, we are still promised that when we put God and his way first in our lives, he will provide the necessities of life to us. This is a comfort to all who are struggling and takes away every reason for one to worry. God uses many ways to fill the needs of his saints but one of the ways he uses is the compassion and mercy of fellow saints who are willing to share what God has given them.
Investing in good works which God has prepared for us to do will yield a much better return than any stock market or business venture. We leave all the things we accumulate in this life to another but the heavenly treasures will be waiting for us in our new eternal home. Praise God for his wisdom and love!
O Lord God, Creator and giver of life, it is such a blessing to be your child and to know you are my Father. What am I that you are mindful of me or even know who I am? How can such an awesome God know my problems and shower me with so many blessings? Yet, I know that you do care because you do know my name and everything I face in life. Praise your Holy Name! Lord, as our nation faces such troubled times, I ask you to be with our leaders and give your wisdom to each of them so they will bring peace to our land. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
