Rejoice in the Lord!
The Bible says that «God loves a cheerful giver» (2 Corinthians, 9:7). So it says that God not only loves givers, but He delights in cheerful giving. It is so essential for us no only to serve God, but also to do it with joy.
The Bible says that «God loves a cheerful giver» (2 Corinthians, 9:7). So it says that God not only loves givers, but He delights in cheerful giving. It is so essential for us no only to serve God, but also to do it with joy.
Today I would like to continue talking about the importance of God’s Word.
We saw what God spoke through Moses that God’s Word is our life. We also talked about the fact that our attitude towards the Word can either prolong our life or shorten it. We have already seen in the parables of Jesus that our attitude towards God’s Word determines the strength of our foundation, our life and all the things we are building. Yesterday we also talked about the fact that God’s Word is able to change our disappointments into joy, bankruptcy – into abundance. We saw all of it in the life of Peter. I would like for us to look at the verses that talk about Peter when he was utterly failing and ready to give up.
For several days now we have been talking about the role of God’s Word in our lives. We talked about the Word of God being our life and about the fact that our right attitude towards it can prolong our days. Also we learned that our attitude towards God’s Words determines how strong the foundation of our lives will be and how able we are to withstand the troubles of this life. Today I would like to look at another facet that demonstrates the significance of God’s Word for us.
«Therefore whoever hears these saying of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these saying of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on the house; and it fell. And great was its fall» (Mathew, 7:24-27)
Today God wants to tell us the same thing. The Word of God is life to us. When God sends us His Word, He offers us life. Rejecting the Word of God we reject life itself. Moses says about God’s Word: «For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life…»
It is extremely important for us to appreciate the Word of God and not to treat it as something futile, – it is not like a song that we have listened to and then gone to do our own will. It should be to us like the greatest treasure. We have to value God’s Word, to hide it in our hearts, to appreciate it because it is life to us. God says that through the Word and through our right attitude towards it we can extend or prolong our days. Our attitude toward the Word determines whether we will extend our life or shorten it.
When we cast all our worries on the Lord, a sincere joy appears fills our hearts and the soul begins to sing a new song. When somebody fully relies on God, he stops chanting the old songs like: “Oh, I am weak! Oh no, I can´t accomplish it! Oh, I am definitely gonna fail! Oh, I am so poor!”
When a person casts his worries on the Lord who cares for us, his mouth will sing a new song: “Let the weak say I am strong! I can do everything in Christ Jesus who strengthens me! My God meets all my needs! God is my shepherd, I lack nothing! I destroy my enemies with God! I am healed by the wounds of Jesus.”
Today I want to encourage you not to burry your dream, even when everything around you tells you that it won’t ever come true. There is such a thing as the power of resurrection. That is the word I want to bring to you.
We started to talk about a woman whose hospitality and generosity brought a miracle into her life, and as a result she gave birth to a son.
When we are hospitable, when we are willing to help people and to share with them what we have, when we do everything in our power to make our guests feel comfortable, when we minister to people from the bottoms of our hearts, then we, as God says, unwittingly show hospitality to angels that bring God’s gifts and blessings to people. By casting people off, we can also reject God’s angels.
“The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. He said, “If I have found favour in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way – now that you have come to your servant.” “Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”
“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There in the tent,” he said. Then the Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him.”
This question is so crucial because how we answer it will determine the measure of God’s involvment in our lives. This question helps us to realize that how much we know about God affects the level of our faith.
When a person believes that there is nothing impossible for God, that person has a particular attitude towards life, a particular reaction to hardships, a particular spiritual attitude that appears when he or she runs into difficult problems that do not change for a long time.