Dear Ones
Hope you wake up to a day of not only receiving but also giving.
Today I plan to do some food prep and go to Women’s Bible study and over to friends for coffee and fellowship.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Where we live in our apartment complex, there is a free table near the trash chute, and we may pick up anything on that table and claim keep it. We can also get rid of things that are no longer useful to us and display it on the table for others to choose. Of course, it’s good to have a balance between donating things and claiming things from that table or we would have overstuffed apartments full of clutter.

Sometimes we may wonder why things are taken from us that we may value, like ministries or possessions, or even relationships; but could it be that the Lord is helping us make room for what He has for us next.  He sees the future and knows when we don’t have room for any more on our schedule and may prompt us to give over our ministry to someone else before He presents us with something new. We may have to give up a time-consuming relationship in which we have been helping someone along, in order that they can mature and depend on the Lord. There are times something we treasure is taken from us and later the Lord fills that void with something so much better.

There is a familiar song by Carol Owens that goes, “Freely, freely, you have received/ Freely, freely give/ Go in my name and because you believe/ others will know that I live.” Let us remember how much God has freely given us and like the first verse says, “God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name/ I’ve been born again in Jesus’ name/ And in Jesus name I come to you/ To share His love as He told me to.” We have received forgiveness and gifts of love and grace and power etc. and what should follow is that we give back and share His love with all those around us. When we just keep receiving and not giving, we become like the Dead Sea, always taking in but never giving out!  God delights to give to us, but we need to let go of things so there is room for the best He has to give us!  Jesus said in Luke 6:38, “Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”

Challenge for today: Don’t hoard God’s gifts but share with others and make room for all that the Lord has yet to give to you.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy