Monday, October 19, 2020

PT-5 "The Practice and Reward of True Giving" (Matt. 6:3-4)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/19/2020 12:47 PM

 

My Worship Time                                  Focus:  PT-5 “The Practice and Reward of True Giving”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Matthew 6:3-4

 

            Message of the verses:  3 "But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing 4  that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”

 

            I desire to conclude this section, and this first chapter from Dr. MacArthur’s commentary on the sixth chapter of Matthew.  Now as we looked at the seven principles of giving we have learned that when we give generously that we are giving an investment into the Kingdom of God.  God certainly does not need our money as He own everything, but He does desire our stewardship and our sacrifice in giving to His Kingdom.  After all it was Jesus who sacrificed Himself for us, and it was no bearing on how much we have that He did this.  Now because we want spiritual riches more than financial riches, because we have personally determined to give, because we want to meet as much need as we can, and because our love compels us to give is exactly what we give to the work of the Lord.

 

            In every area of righteous, we find that the key is the heart, and the heart is the inner attitude that motivates what we say and do.  We know that the scribes and Pharisees desired public righteousness, and actually public righteousness is not to be rejected, but it is to be done in the spirit of humility, love and sincerity.  Ephesians 2:10 (one of my all time favorite verses states ) “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” 

 

            In the area of righteousness we find that Jesus Himself is our supreme and also most perfect example.  Jesus preached His messages in public, Jesus performed His miracles of healing, compassion, and power over nature in public settings.  The thing that Jesus did that was different than the scribes and Pharisees, and also some characters in the church today is that He continually focused attention on His heavenly Father, whose will alone He came to do as seen in John 8:49-50 “49 Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 “But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges.”  MacArthur writes “when we give alms in secret, lovingly, unpretentiously, and with not thought for recognition or appreciation, our ‘Father who sees in secret will repay’ us.  The principle is this:  if we remember, God will forget; but if we forget, God will remember.  Our purpose should be to meet every need we are able to meet and leave the bookkeeping to God, realizing that ‘we have done only that which we ought to have done’ (Luke 17:10).”

 

            We need not worry that God will miss giving a single reward to us:  “13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:13).  “We can be assured that the Lord knows our hearts, our attitudes, and our motives, and every reward that is due us will be given.”

 

            MacArthur concludes this section:  “It is God’s perfect plan and will to give rewards to those who faithfully trust and obey Him.  And it is not unspiritual to expect and anticipate those rewards, if we do so in a spirit of humility and gratitude—knowing that God’s rewards manifest His grace to the undeserving.  We can meet His merciful requirements for rewards, but we can never truly earn them.

 

            “The greatest reward a believer can have is the knowledge that he has pleased his Lord.  Our motive for looking forward to His rewards should be the anticipation of casting them as an offering at His feet, even as the twenty-four elders one day ‘will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power’ (Rev. 4:10-11).”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I believe that it is a privilege to give to the cause of Christ, a privilege that He will even accept my offerings at all.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I trust that the Lord will continue to speak to my heart as I give to the cause of Christ as the Spirit of God directs me to do.

 

10/19/2020 1:17 PM

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