GIVING IS AN HONOURABLE THING

Giving is not obligatory, but when you feel compelled to give, do it with excellence. Remember, you're helping fellow human beings, not canines. It's wonderful to be a blessing and offer assistance to others. However, if you choose to give, don't offer them shabby or unworthy items. 

When you help the less fortunate, it's like lending to God, and He promises to repay you. But some people's giving methods or gifts are downright awful. Even animals wouldn't receive such poor treatment. If God were to repay your loan (what you gave to those in need) in the same manner or with the same quality, would you be satisfied?

Giving is not just about the object you give, but also about the manner in which you give it. Some people give with insults, wrong motives, to show off, or by merely tossing the gift at the needy and considering it done. Oops. Yes, it's your money, your clothes, your food, and so on. But if you choose to give them to those in need, don't do it with disdain in your eyes. Give with honour and respect. 

Giving is an honorable act, but don't let the way you give or the quality of your gift be dishonourable. It's not about showcasing on social media. It should be done in secret. That's why it's called "giving" and not "showing off.  God only rewards or repays what you give in secret. 

Every time you assist the poor, it's like granting a loan to the Lord. Don't worry—you'll be fully repaid for all the good you've done. Proverbs 19:17 TPT

Whoever has compassion for the needy lends to the Lord, and He will repay them for their deed. Proverbs 19:17 NKJV

But when you help the needy, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may remain a secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:3-4 NIV

I am JUST THINKING

Open Doors

Doors are opened every day, whether you're going out or coming in. But open doors can symbolize opportunities. People receive opportunities in various ways and from different sources. One of those sources is God. When God opens a door, it's for a reason and purpose. However, there are a few things you need to understand.

According to Revelation 3:7-8 NKJV, it says, "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens: I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. "

In the scripture above, it's mentioned that when God opens something, no one can shut it, and when He shuts something, no one can open it. Hmm, physical doors are meant to be opened and closed, but the doors that God opens are not physical and cannot be shut. This means that the opportunities God opens for you cannot be closed by anyone. However, you should expect the following:

According to 1 Corinthians 16:9 NKJV, it says, "For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

The scripture above states that a great and effective door has been opened, but there are adversaries. It shows that any door God opens is great, effective, and worthwhile. But there will be adversaries, opposition, and distractions. Just because God is the one opening doors and giving you opportunities doesn't mean that opposition and adversaries won't come. They will surely come.

However, those adversaries or opposition cannot shut the doors that God opens. So, don't be afraid when faced with challenges or opposition, even if it's God who sent you. They will try to distract and discourage you, but the door cannot be shut by any person. When God opens a door, no one can shut it. But you have to stay on the path He called you to walk on.

Singing The Lord's Song In A Strange Land

 

Psalms 137:4 NKJV says, "How shall we sing the Lord’s song In a foreign land?"

The people of Babylon, the mighty nation that laid siege to Jerusalem, overtook the city, and led tens of thousands captive. One of those captives was a musician who wrote the 137th Psalm.

The Israelites did not only weep, they reached out to hang up their lyre on the branch of a willow tree somewhere along the Tigris or Euphrates River. The Babylonians, their captors, wanted to hear them sing a song of Zion. But the Israelites could not bring themselves to comply.

Symbolically, the strange land could be a place, a situation, mourning a loved one, grieving, a challenge, a strange place, an unfamiliar territory or position, etc. Many of us don't pray, sing and praise God when we are in a strange land. We give up so easily in that strange land or situation. We also ask, "How can I sing the lord's song in a/this strange land or situation?"

Did you know that Daniel and his friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego), Esther, Nehemiah and Ezra all sang the lord's song in a foreign Land? Daniel was told not to worship a man and any "god" but the king for thirty days. But he chose to worship the lord for that period as he did always. His friends, the three Hebrew boys refused to bow down to the gold statue of the king in that foreign or strange Land.

When they sang the lord's song in that strange land or situation (They chose to worship and believe in the one and only true God), God showed up. They were rescued from the claws and teeth of the lions and burning fiery furnace. God was exalted and recognized by the King because of them. 

Esther said, "If I perish, I perish" in a strange land. So, when you are in a strange land, situation, circumstances, it is another good time to sing the lord's song. It was the loss of those Israelites who decided not to sing the lord's song in a strange land. As for you, you should not throw in the towel like the Israelites did.

However, it is difficult to sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land. But singing the Lord's song at all times and in every situation should be our calling and disposition. 

HALLELUJAH

GO BACK AND SUBMIT YOURSELF

 

When you have a very hard, difficult and callous boss, colleague, neighbour, landlord and so on, what do you do?

Many times, most of us withdraw, give up, resign, become defensive, regret it, run away and so on. Although most of us will do that and that is not the best option. If that is not the best option, then what should one do?

Genesis 16:6-9 NKJV

So Abram said to Sarai, “Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please.” And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence. Now the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.” The Angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.”

Hagar ran away or fled because her madam dealt with her harshly, cruelly, caused trouble for her, mistreated her. But an Angel met her on the way and asked her what she was doing there, and she said she ran away because of what her madam meted out to her. Then the angel said, "go back and summit to her Authority or summit yourself under her hand".

The above gives us an insight into what we need to do when we have a very difficult boss. I have heard of people who ran away like house helps who could not bear the iron hand of their madams, boss and so on.

We are to remain or stay there, in that position, in that job, in that house, in that neighbourhood and so on and summit to the hand of Authority in that place no matter what.

It is painful when you are treated badly by a superior but staying back and summitting to them is the solution. You need the training, the discipline and so on to become better. If you run away, you may miss out on what you need to learn in that place. And how are you sure you will not meet a much difficult person when you move on to another person(s) or to another place.

The problem here is the problem of submission. People tend to summit when things are rosy and comfortable or when they have a very good, understanding and easy boss. But they find it difficult to submit to the so called "wicked, heartless and cruel boss, parents and leaders." 

We are to submit to leadership no matter who the person is, the age, the nature and experience of the person.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ORGANIZED

A disorganized house makes a big house or space look small, irritating and unbearable. While an organized house makes a small house and space look big and attractive creating more space to receive more.

If you are not organized, small tasks become so big, annoying and difficult. But when you are organized, both small and big tasks become easy, attractive and enjoyable.

People who live in a disorganized house are not always excited going home. They hardly have friends over because they don't want people to see the mess, they live in. But people are who live in an organized home always look forward to getting home, eating, resting on that particular sofa, inviting friends over and so on.

When you are organized, you become attractive. You plan your work and get it done seamlessly. You see other aspects of the task at hand that you didn't see originally. It affects creativity, productivity, your relationships, your resources, your soft skills, your health and so on. It makes you look like a super star whereas the secret is that you are just organized.

Being organized helps you spend less time and resources. So, take that step today and become an organized person. By the way, there are people and great tools that can help you become an organized person.

Have you been to a party that there was so much food but the food didn't go round eventually? The reason for it is because of greed, favourism, LACK OF ORGANIZATION and so on.  

Mark 6: 38 - 44 says,

^"38 But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”

And when they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.” 

39Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. 

⁴⁰ So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. 

⁴¹ And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. 

⁴² So they all ate and were filled. 

⁴³ And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. 

⁴⁴ Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.

This reminds me of Jesus. When He got the Five loaves of bread and two fish, he told the disciples to tell the people to sit in an organized way."

So being organized helps you in a lot of ways.