Daily Devotional from The Way Bible Church for November 12th, 2019

There is an often overlooked principle in today’s text. That principle being that intentionality or having a purpose brings joy. Look at it from a practical perspective. While no one enjoys having to pay their bills, knowing that they have to be paid making plans to pay them makes the process much less stressful. But, when something unexpected hits such as a trip to the emergency room or a vehicle breaks down, stress and frustration can quickly set in because the cost was money that wasn’t planned to be spent. This is why the Apostle Paul exhorted the Corinthian church to give intentionally or as he said, “As you have [already] decided in your heart give.” Most people who say that they don’t like going to church because, ‘they always ask for money’ are people who haven’t decided in advance what they’re going give. This simply involves some intentionality in the form of prayerfully asking the Lord what He would like. When you walk into your church already having decided that you’re going to give and knowing what you’re giving, you won’t dread the offering bucket coming by. You won’t feel pressured by the Pastor when he presents the opportunity to sow into the Kingdom and you’ll do so in faith, not in some emotional tizzy because you’re just trying keep those around you from looking down on you for not participating in the offering. When the Father gave Jesus for the redemption of the mankind, the Bible says did so ‘before the foundations of the world’. In other words, He planned on redeeming you before you ever had chance to sin in the first place. When (not if) you give purposefully and intentionally, you will discover what it means to be a cheerful giver. – Love and Blessings, Pastor Jeff