FRESH START TODAY - (Blog 26)

FRESH START TODAY…  Keep secret your generosity?

This morning I am sitting here writing this blog looking out the window of our recreational vehicle seeing the tall pines of Northern Arizona.  The campground is empty because it is too early in the season for most people to camp and we are here because we are to open another campground in the area in about a week.  This campground will soon be buzzing with people wanting to get away from the heat in the Phoenix valley.  My husband and I are Campground Hosts for the summer season.  Today my thoughts are on the Scriptures chosen for this week found in Proverbs 11:25 (A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. NIV) and I had to ask myself what more could be said?  The Holy Spirit directed me to read Matthew 6:1-4 and then it became clear what else God was saying to me.

Matt 6:1-4, "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.  "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. NIV

Did you ever wonder when Jesus did one of His many miracles why He would ask that person not to tell anyone?  He never wanted to bring attention to Himself, did He?  The healings were for the glory of God and to ultimately draw the recipient to understand the reality of a Holy God that truly loved them.  I believe that the passion of Christ was being revealed daily as He encountered people whose hearts were ready to receive His message.  Jesus did tell a man who had been healed of leprosy to go to the Priest to show that he was clean, but this involved obedience and the custom of the time to show that he was able to be reunited with the community and his family where he once lived.  He never said, “Tell the Priest I healed you!”  The word soon got around about all the miracles that Jesus had done, so He had followers by the hundreds wanting for miracles.  Jesus did become weary, not from the work but from the press of the people seeking miracles and not relationship. He loved the people, but He would often retire to a private place to pray.  He was human and needed to regain His strength. 

In my book “God Sees the Heart” I share experiences I have had through the years and how I have seen the Holy Spirit working through the hearts of other believers.  Yes I was in the picture, but I never meant for the focus to be on me.  The message of the book is that God sees the heart!  I came out of my prayer closet to share my heart with you, the reader, so that you will draw closer to the Lord in your journey.  Our acts of righteousness should never be expressed in a prideful way in saying, “Look what I have done!”  We need to shout the truth of what Jesus has done through our life! We would never want to loose our reward that Jesus intends for us to receive. 

The announcement to Mary that she would give birth to the Savior and the angel telling her “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” Luke 1:42, was for Mary’s benefit privately.  Somewhere along the way, Mary shared her heart with someone, and one day it was recorded in print for the world to see.  She was a humble woman of faith and a loving God recognized her generous soul.

I ponder in my heart the full joy of wonderful and generous people of God that have loved me through the years.  I am thankful for people that have unselfishly given their money, time and encouragement to me when I have been in need.  It was seen as the power of the Holy Spirit working through believers that have never desired to be noticed for their generosity.  My heart reaches out to you to encourage you to be generous with your time, money and love expecting nothing in return except to glorify the Lord.  This was the desire of Jesus as He walked among the people when they were in need of knowing the Savior.  He wanted to encourage them to return to the God who loved them.  We need to desire to grow to have the mind of Jesus Christ and reach out to others in generosity.