The Cycle of Love

~~~ Philippians 4:10-19 ~~~ Psalm 112 ~~~ Luke 16:9-15 ~~~

I have the strength for everything through 
him who empowers me.

Paul begins this chapter giving thanks and rejoicing in the Lord.
He acknowledges the kindness of the people
their generosity toward him.
He reminds them that they should make
 their requests known to God.
Finally Paul tells them of the magnificent
peace they will receive from God.

Paul shares a learned life lesson...
the closer we come to God the more generous we become.
We become more generous because we come to realize
 that all that we have comes from God.

The more we return to him the more he bestows upon us.

Giving and receiving are part of the same cycle of love.
Just as the water brought up into the clouds returns
to renew the dry parched lands.

My God will fully supply whatever you need,
in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

That which you send out to others returns to you.
When it returns to you it is greater because it has gone up to God...
remember what you do for the least...is also for God.
Once something returns having been sent up to God
 it is more than enough.

Whatever is given in generosity is saturated
 with God's abundance.
Then and only then
will it be returned to the giver.

God only knows how to give more.

Blessed to have a God
 who wants us to completely rely on him
 for all of our needs.

The peace he has for us correlates
with our trust in him.

~~~Peace~~~

Generous Giving

~~~ Tobit 2:9-14 ~~~ Psalm 112 ~~~ Mark 12:13-17 ~~~

 

The elders approach Jesus like a school of blood thirsty sharks.
 

At first they begin to flatter him...

Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man
and that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion.
You do not regard a person’s status
but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.

 

Then they lock in, executing their real purpose in attracting his attention.

Is it lawful to pay taxes to Cesar?
(Matters concerning money...a hot topic, even in present times.)

 

They are too blind to see that there may be more

than one way to look at a dilemma. 

The answer to their question is not  'yes' or 'no' answer.

God is just in all matters,

even when it comes to paying your due taxes.

 

 

Tobit was a good man blinded by cataracts, we are told.

But Tobit is also blind to grasping the possibility

that his wife could be paid for her work with something other than money.

 

The owners were more generous than Tobit expected

in paying his wife for her sewing.

The owners were creative...they paid her what she expected to paid,

but they did not stop they gave her more.

They also gave her a goat...for food.

Nothing she said could convince her husband that

the goat was part of her compensation for her work.

 

He accuses her of stealing the goat, because he himself

would not have been so generous.

How we treat others says more about who we are than

 we might want to believe.

Is this personality trait our greatest hurdle in believing

 that God only wants

what is in our best interest?

He consistently gives so much more than we deserve.

 

The wife of Tobit was given more than was due

for the work she had completed.

The same is true for each of us;

we are given eternal salvation for living a life of love.

 

Is living a good life enough to receive entry into heaven?

We will have to wait and see.

 

Where charity and love prevail God is surely there.