Jesus says in Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.”

The direction in this verse is pretty clear, that if we give, we will receive. However, I think the second sentence has a deeper message. “For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.” Some translations write “by the same standard of measure…” This part of the message is not necessarily about how much we give, but the “standard of measure” we have in giving. I think this means the mindset or attitude that we have in giving. If we give reluctantly, worried about what is being done with “our” gifts, or concerned that we cannot afford to give, we can expect to receive by this standard.

But if we give generously, with the confidence that God always provides, we will receive with the same “standard of measure.”

2 Corinthians 9:8 tells us, “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”

Dear Lord, you provide all we have, and can give us much more, at your will. Help us remember then to give with a generous measure and you will allways give us everything we need and plenty left over. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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I have heard it said that your life is like an echo, what you send out comes back to you, or like a mirror, a reflection of you.

Paul writes in his letter to Titus 1:15, “A person who is pure of heart sees goodness and purity in everything; but a person whose own heart is evil and untrusting finds evil in everything, for his dirty mind and rebellious heart color all he sees and hears.”

I imagine you have met both kinds of people, those that look for the best in everything, and have good positive attitudes, and those that see the negative and problems in every experience. How interesting that they both can be looking at the same situation and see such different pictures. The verse above from Paul’s letter to Titus tells us that the way people look at a situation is an indication of what is in their own heart and mind. How they look at things is as much a statement on themselves as it is a statement on the people or things about which they are commenting.

Dear Lord, help us be people of pure hearts and find the goodness and purity you have put in our world. Help us also be a positive influence on those with evil and untrusting hearts, that they might see your love through us and desire to change. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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There are some people that are so good at writing or delivering a speech that they can change people’s perspectives and behaviors enough to change the course of history; People like Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, John Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Margaret Thatcher, and Ronald Reagan.

Isaiah was given this type of capability by God to influence people’s lives as well. Isaiah 50:4 says, “The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.”

God may not give us visions, and the ability to prophesy, like Isaiah, but he can use any of us to offer encouragement and hope to those that are weary, distraught or discouraged. Proverbs 16:24 says, “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Any of us can be the one to provide the needed “gracious words.”

Dear Lord, give us the insight and understand to see those in need of healing words, and provide us the words that can make a difference in people’s lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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Do you ever wonder why some people are open to the message of Jesus Christ, but others are completely closed to it?

I think the answer has something to do with self-centered pride. The people in the Bible who opened themselves up to Jesus were those that had some personal problem like an illness, or a loved one that was ill. Some others recognized their bad moral background and recognized they needed forgiveness. Some others came to Jesus, and listened to him because they felt something missing in their lives that they could not fill on their own. Is it any different today?

Those that rejected Jesus were those that put their confidence in themselves and didn’t believe they needed him, like the rich man in Mark 10:17-22 who put his faith in his possessions, or the Pharisees who put their confidence in their expert knowledge of the scriptures or their good works.

It seems that the differentiator in determining whether someone is open to the Good News is their level of belief that they need something beyond their own control.

In Matthew 9:12, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” for I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Dear Lord, we all need you, whether we believe it or not. We need you for our lives here on earth, and most importantly for our lives beyond the Earth. Help us find the opportunities to provide your Good News at the right time for those who are really looking for you, whether they know it or not. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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Many people we encounter daily are rather negative. It is so easy to think the negative things are the things to discuss; bad weather, traffic, our physical ailments, car trouble, etc. Not to minimize people’s problems, but even with our problems, we all have much to be happy and grateful for. We should try to be the person that turns the conversation to the positive things.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Paul writes to the believers there, “Always be joyful, Always keep praying, No matter what happens, be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” TLB I am sure the folks Paul was writing to had problems like we do. Arguably, their problems were more dire than we can imagine in the developed world of 2018.

Dear Lord, Help us remember Paul’s words, and be Joyful and Thankful. Joyful because we are saved and we know you will support us through our problems, and Thankful in for this amazing gift. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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