Speaker: Ben Sigman
Theme: Money and Generosity
Weekend Music links on iTunes: Holding Onto Youby Mike Flathers; All Over the Worldby Matt Redman; Glory to God Forever by Fee; How He Loves Us by David Crowder.
Read: Psalm 139:1-12; 1 John 4:18
Think: This economic downturn is not the first and certainly won't be the last. What a great opportunity to confront our fears as Pastor Ben taught us this last weekend and what better way to do that than to give!
Two tremendous events collided in the years 2000 and 2001, the internet bust and 9/11. At the time I was working for an internet consulting company running several large projects for Hewlett Packard. We were at the top of the world waiting to go public. Boom and boom and my company lost the HP projects, and all of the sudden, no one was getting rich quick, the company was not going public and I found myself unemployed.
I recall thinking, "Well, how long can this last?" I couldn't have guessed it would be 16 months!!! Unemployment checks were a wonderful blessing and through it all we tithed on the unemployment. We did a lot of Bible study and found Psalm 139:1-12 - God sees where we came from. He sees where we are right now. He sees where we are going. He sees what we need as well as what we don't need. He knows what He desires to make us into and has the power to bring it to pass.
Our situation didn't improve for what seemed like a long time. But through it all God provided for us. And best of all, our faith and our relationship with the Lord grew. We could have worried and became fearful, but we knew God was trustworthy!
If we have fear about money, fear about giving generously, or really fear in anything, we need only to grasp fully God's love for us as expressed in Psalm 139. And that perfect love will cast out the fear (1 John 4:18).
Do: Read Psalm 139 several times. Understand how important you are to God, how much He loves you and knows all about your life and where you are right now. Take that understanding with you when that next payment is due or that financial problem arises.
Pray: Father God, I love You and know that You love me. You are able and willing to walk with me through any of my financial troubles. Help me to trust You! I want to abide in your love and live fearlessly for You. In Jesus' name, Amen.
The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church. |
