II Corinthians 9:7 "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (NIV).
Last time, we looked at the first of three guidelines for giving, as outlined in II Corinthians 9:7. The first guideline for godly giving is that the giver should prayerfully decide the amount to give and the place to give it.
Godly giving takes resolve, and that's the second guideline. If there is no decision, there will be no resolve. Giving is not a matter to be decided lightly or out of impulse. If you give because someone has "played on your emotions," like a telethon pledge, you may find that you regret it later, or, worse yet, do not follow through on your pledge.
If you prayerfully make a decision to give, you will not fall prey to the opposite giving outcome, which is "grudgingly" (KJV), "reluctantly or under compulsion" (ESV), you "feel sorry that you must give...feel that you are forced to give" (CEV), "sad when you give" (NCV), give "out of regret or out of necessity" (HCSB), "give [when] you don't want to" (NIRV), "give, wishing [you] could keep it" (NLV).
The Message Version of II Corinthians 9:7 says it this way: "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..." Prayerfully consider and decide the amount to give and where to give it, then be resolved to follow through, no matter what.
Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 [NIV]
"When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it... It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it."
What this has to do with weight loss: How many promises have you made, in connection with your weight-loss journey? How many times have you promised your spouse, yourself, and/or God that you will exercise regularly (whether you feel like it or not), eat fewer carbs (or whatever will serve your body well, causing it to release more weight), or not make your family suffer for your weight-loss journey woes? God sees a promise as a vow. He takes it seriously, and so should you. Seriously consider any promise before you make it, planning carefully how you will fulfill it, and follow through. Do you have to be perfect at it? No, but God expects a perfect try. He will help you do what you cannot, as long as you have done all you can.
Confession:
I give thoughtfully, prayerfully, and with the resolve to follow through, no matter what.
Showing posts with label promises. Show all posts
Showing posts with label promises. Show all posts
Friday, December 4, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Life Plan Devotion #101 [Promises]
II Peter 1:3-5a "By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises" [NLT].
Webster's Dictionary defines "promise" as "a declaration that something will or will not be done, given, etc." Depending on one's criteria for that which constitutes a "promise," there are at least 1,260 and may be as many as 6,000 promises in the Bible. Just so you know how I feel about it, I say there are 31,173 promises, for that is how many verses there are in the entire Bible. For this writer, every word in the Bible is God-breathed and true. Radical? Perhaps. It has been my experience that when one lines himself/herself up with the Word of God, in thought, word, and deed, one finds that "God can be trusted to keep His promise" (Hebrews 10:23).
No doubt you, reader, have been on the receiving end of a promise unfulfilled, and, when that happens, it is upsetting. In a perfect world, all promises are kept. I have good news! God keeps His promises! God keeps His word. "God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind" (Numbers 23:19a). Moses (the commonly-accepted writer of the Book of Numbers) goes on to ask, "Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through?" (19b). The answer is "No."
The psalmist David walked with God and, at times, counter to God. No matter what, David came to learn and know that "God's way is perfect. All [His] promises prove true" (Psalm 18:30). The Apostle Paul, in the Book of Romans, chapter 4, talks about the faith of Abraham (considered to be the father of faith). Paul tells us that "Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises" (vv. 20-21).
If you want to please God, if you want to see all of the promises in God's Word fulfilled in your life, you must know Jesus Christ as your Savior, "For all of God's promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding 'Yes!' And through Christ, our 'Amen' (which means 'Yes') ascends to God for His glory" (II Corinthians 1:20). Believers across the millennia testify that "Those who know [His] Name trust in [Him], for [He] [does] not abandon those who search for [Him]" (Psalm 9:10).
Hebrews 6:18b [NLT]
"We who have fled to [God] for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us." [Note: specific noun, for non-specific pronoun, inserted by author, for clarity.]
What this has to do with weight loss: If you would experience success on the weight-loss journey, you must have hope that it will happen. There is a place of protection, safety, and refuge. It is in God and in His Word. Hang on to Him, and you will hang on to hope.
Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, I choose to take You at Your Word, that Your Word is true. I want all that You have for me, so show me what that is, in the pages of Your Word, and help me to see how to make sure it comes to pass for me. I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen."
Go forth today, with great anticipation for the fulfillment of God's promises in your life.
Webster's Dictionary defines "promise" as "a declaration that something will or will not be done, given, etc." Depending on one's criteria for that which constitutes a "promise," there are at least 1,260 and may be as many as 6,000 promises in the Bible. Just so you know how I feel about it, I say there are 31,173 promises, for that is how many verses there are in the entire Bible. For this writer, every word in the Bible is God-breathed and true. Radical? Perhaps. It has been my experience that when one lines himself/herself up with the Word of God, in thought, word, and deed, one finds that "God can be trusted to keep His promise" (Hebrews 10:23).
No doubt you, reader, have been on the receiving end of a promise unfulfilled, and, when that happens, it is upsetting. In a perfect world, all promises are kept. I have good news! God keeps His promises! God keeps His word. "God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind" (Numbers 23:19a). Moses (the commonly-accepted writer of the Book of Numbers) goes on to ask, "Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through?" (19b). The answer is "No."
The psalmist David walked with God and, at times, counter to God. No matter what, David came to learn and know that "God's way is perfect. All [His] promises prove true" (Psalm 18:30). The Apostle Paul, in the Book of Romans, chapter 4, talks about the faith of Abraham (considered to be the father of faith). Paul tells us that "Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises" (vv. 20-21).
If you want to please God, if you want to see all of the promises in God's Word fulfilled in your life, you must know Jesus Christ as your Savior, "For all of God's promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding 'Yes!' And through Christ, our 'Amen' (which means 'Yes') ascends to God for His glory" (II Corinthians 1:20). Believers across the millennia testify that "Those who know [His] Name trust in [Him], for [He] [does] not abandon those who search for [Him]" (Psalm 9:10).
Hebrews 6:18b [NLT]
"We who have fled to [God] for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us." [Note: specific noun, for non-specific pronoun, inserted by author, for clarity.]
What this has to do with weight loss: If you would experience success on the weight-loss journey, you must have hope that it will happen. There is a place of protection, safety, and refuge. It is in God and in His Word. Hang on to Him, and you will hang on to hope.
Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, I choose to take You at Your Word, that Your Word is true. I want all that You have for me, so show me what that is, in the pages of Your Word, and help me to see how to make sure it comes to pass for me. I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen."
Go forth today, with great anticipation for the fulfillment of God's promises in your life.
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