“For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required; and to whom men have committed much, of him will they ask the more.” Luke 12:48
Today’s daily devotional
“Ohhh…God wants to bless you!” The preacher with the capped teeth smiles widely as the basket for the weekly offering gets passed in front of me one more time. This is the fourth time during the service that I have been handed that basket.
I am starting to feel like I am part of an auction as I hear loud shouts from the back of the room. They seem like cheers of encouragement to dig deeper into my wallet for God’s greater blessing.
I came to church to get a blessing, at least the preacher got that part right. But, I had in mind to receive a different kind of blessing—a deeper revelation about who God is and what His will is for my life.
I am quite aware that running a ministry of outreach costs money. I agree that the first portion of my paycheck should go to my first priority—the kingdom of God. I also agree that if anyone should prosper, it should be God’s people.
What this preacher failed to emphasize is the responsibility of being blessed. Luke 12:48 shows very clearly that with blessing comes great responsibility; one that each of us will be personally accountable for. For those of you who are asking for the blessings of heaven to rain down on you, I have a question. What is your motive for that blessing?
If most of your reasons center mostly around yourself; then allow me to I pose another question: Can God really trust you with the kind of blessing you are praying for?
If we tweak our prayer and motives behind them, the chances of blessing will rise with our better intentions. God wants to bless people, especially the ones that He can trust with His blessing.
“Dear Heavenly Father,
I want to be blessed in every way. I believe you want the best for your children, as we are your family.
I also realize that there is a serious moral responsibility attached to the gift of blessing.
Lord, create in me a new heart. I want a heart that desires to do your will. Bless me to fulfill your will with the favor and wealth that you entrust to me. Help me never to hurt you by forgetting others and only thinking of my needs.
Show me who in my life can use encouragement and give me the wisdom to dispense the overflow of your goodness to me onto others who are less fortunate.
I promise to be a living example of the goodness and generosity of the God who is so good to me. Help me to fulfill this promise. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.”
Thank you for reading today’s daily devotional.
Please check back and see what we have for you tomorrow!
Author: Julia Shalom Jordan