Daily Devotion July 31

July 31: Ecclesiastes 11:1-6

KJV Key Verse: Ecclesiastes 11:1
1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

Devotion:
How do you decide how generous you should be to others? Do you base it upon how well off you are, how poor they are, or do you judge the person themselves? God's love for us is like a large rain cloud emptying itself upon the land; it does not rain on the garden which needs rain but not on the patch full of weeds, it rains everywhere. God's love goes out to everyone and in equal measure. His rewards may well be very different between you are your neighbour!

In our days of drought we long to see rain give life back to the ever drying soil. We don’t limit that longing just for our back yard but to the whole country! We should aim for the same with God’s love and the entire earth. But far too long we forget about how we should act towards others; you know, that thing called Christian love! We could never live up to the love that God has for us, but we can make a huge difference in the love we show others! If we don’t share what we have we should not expect others to share what they have. When we show others respect and love, things begin to change for us and for all the people around us.

What we should not do is to blandly go out and give to everyone we see. What we are directed to do is to firstly give of our own possessions (cast your bread...) but also to be aware of our surroundings when we are giving out. Just like a person sowing seeds should not sow on the road, we should sow God’s word where it will take root. We should also harvest at the right time when it is dry or we risk losing everything!

Giving out of love will allow us to discern where gifts will make the most impact. God knows exactly where our giving will make the most difference so we should listen for His calling and His directions.

Points to Ponder:
How often do you help friends?

How often do you try to help others?