November 5 – Giving vs Blessing
Read: Ezekiel 12:1-14:11, Hebrews 7:1-17, Psalm 105:37-45, Proverbs 27:3
And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed. (Hebrews 7:7)
Relate:
It seems that Christmas season starts for the stores earlier and earlier. The holiday has been so commercialized and businesses want to ride that cash cow for as long as they can. I love the primary purpose behind it. We are celebrating giving… rightfully so. Nobody is greater than Jesus. Nobody has given more than He did. Nobody has been blessed more than those who have accepted that gift. At its core, celebrating Christmas is all about celebrating the gift, the blessing, that He has given to us.
React: The thing is, buying presents is not necessarily blessing others. How many of those presents are going to end up getting traded in at the beginning of January. How many of those gift cards are going to sit in that wallet for days, weeks, even months on end until finally the gift receiver feels guilty enough to try that restaurant out? How much stress and headache will people have trying to figure out what they should be giving for that friend/family who already has plenty and won’t appreciate it anyways. No, giving presents and blessing others are not the same. Sometimes giving time if a far greater blessing. Sometimes giving an unsought thank you will be a much better blessing. Sometimes giving to someone who does not have the power to give back will be a much greater blessing. So, as we are inundated over the next two months to buy, buy, buy… lets see if we can’t find some far better ways to bless others.
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Respond: As the weather grows colder, there are tens of thousands right here in America who do not know how they will be able to afford the rising heating bills. Many, many more do not have a roof over their heads. Please pray for those for whom the winter cold is far more than just an inconvenience.