Giving...

Giving ....

It is December....my mailbox is flooded with letters, cards, notes for good causes...reaching out for funds in the biggest giving time of the year...some I have never heard of while others are familiar names and places...lists of needs, wants and desires...some really fit with the list from the following scriptures...

1. Food
2. Drink
3. Shelter
4. Clothing
5. Prisoners

There are some real needs all over the world and right next door...

And there are some fake letters as well, sorry to say...

We each have the opportunity to search our hearts and respond accordingly....what is the Spirit trying to tell us about our place in giving?

Who would He have for us particularly to share our abundance with?

In our land of abundance, our life style of much, to whom has He impressed us to give and share?

Those many pieces of mail, which ones come to the top for a response?

There are local missions who need food to give out, places in the world whose food food supply has been disrupted for various reasons...

There are places that don’t have water close at hand...

There are places where people are sheltered in tents, make shift covering due to storms, war, etc..

There are places where clothing is scare..

There are places in the world where people are held captive, either in spirit or physically...

Pray, asking for wisdom, where can I help, where does God want me to help?... a little can go a long way...as with the loaves and fishes that were given by a boy to feed thousands with Jesus’ blessing...

Thank YOU for the opportunity to give...help me with discernment in making those choices ...You have given so much...use me as a tool to bless others...

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was clothing thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Matthew 25:31-46