Undeserved Favor from God

www.bible.com/reading-plans/3797/day/5

There needs to be more stories in the news like the one in this devotional about the selfless acts that one person does for another person in need. How much more pleasant it would be to watch a news show with some positive news on it? We may never make the news but we are called upon to be selfless and Jesus modeled that for us when He went to the cross. God’s gift is completely free for us, but it cost Him dearly. When we accept His gift of grace, mercy and ultimately salvation, we are part of His army of volunteers that He sends into the world to represent Him. We may not be able to do big things, but we can do something every day to show someone the love of Jesus in our lives, opening a door for them to get to know Jesus for themselves. I confess that I have been prompted by the Holy Spirit to do something for a stranger and have walked away instead, sometimes due to shyness and the thought that I might be embarrassed. I am trying to do better and to follow the His leading, to help others selflessly regardless of how I personally feel about stepping outside of my comfort zone. Sometimes God prods us to do something that costs money (He knows we have it or He wouldn’t ask us to give), sometimes He encourages us to give time or a tangible gift of some sort. Whatever it is that He tells us to give, we need to be ready and willing to reach out to others. God reached down from heaven to each of us when He sent His only Son to die for us. It seems to me that it’s a small thing for us to obey His call to reach out to others. His undeserved favor is supposed to be passed on, not hoarded.

A Message of Love

Love those who may be the most unlovable because they need to know the power of love the most.

Have a blessed and glorious Sabbath Day! Remember to look for those who need you to show them love and don’t be afraid to reach out. Be the hands of the Lord today! Live, laugh, love!

Thursday’s Quotation

Have you ever been at the beach and awakened early, before anyone else was up? Have you gone walking on an empty beach and watched as your feet sank into the sand? Then, have you turned around to walk back the way you came and have you seen your footprints on the sand? Have you thought about the fact that others will come after you and form more footprints, either on top of or next to yours?

Now, take that visual and apply it to the fact that if you are walking ahead of someone, there is someone behind you who may need your help. When we help, sometimes we feel like that other person is holding us back. But this quotation tells us a truth. Helping others challenges us to grow, to become more like Christ, to become more mature in our faith. Yes, it takes time to help others, but it will always be worth it.

Please look for someone today who needs your help. It may be a child or grandchild who needs a kind word of encouragement. It may be an elderly neighbor who just needs something picked up at the store and delivered. It may even be your spouse who just needs your time. My friends, I will be taking my own advice today. I hope that you have a blessed day so that you can reach out and be a blessing.

Look for the hidden blessing when you help others, for in reaching out to them, you are reaching your hand out to God.