Pray, Give, and Give Some More

Today's Reading: Psalm 77 & 2 Corinthians 8

Scripture:
"But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability." 2 Corinthians 8:11

Observation:
Making a commitment is always easy on the front end. In the emotion of a moment when anything seems possible it is easy to commit. But there is always a point on the journey where it becomes just as easy to lay a work aside and not complete it. In this mornings readings, I am reminded of three tasks to which I must be dedicated to completing.

Application:
First, I must be dedicated to praying through hard times. Psalm 77 is a beautiful picture of this. Asaph comes to God in prayer not because his soul was troubled, but to pray until his soul was comforted. There is a huge lesson in this for me. I often to God with my troubles but am not sold out to the fact that I will pray until I find rest. Asaph laid out before God all night praying through an issue. I need to be ready to do the same thing. I need to approach prayer with an attitude that once I start I will not stop until the work is finished.

Second, I must be dedicated to giving from what I have. There is not a fixed amount of time, money, or energy expected of me from God. That is the teaching from Paul in 2 Corinthians. God is proportionate and judges me based on what I have to offer. There is a sense of pride in me that does not feel good about giving a little. If I only have a little to offer a circumstance my tendency is to give nothing.

Third, I should give until it hurts. Giving out of abundance proves nothing. Anybody can do that. Sacrificial giving, on the other hand, proves much. There are times when God calls me to be stretched beyond what I am able to give in order to prove to Himself worthy. If I never go beyond what I am capable of offering how will I ever expect to experience the fullness of God?

Prayer:
Pray, give and give some more. That is the simple, yet complex command I hear from You today. I ask today that You help me not to just do these things, but to begin to desire to do these things. I ask that You help me not to just start these things, but the stick with these things long after they become painful.

I am in a season right now where my money, my energy and my emotions are being stripped away by the needs of the people around me. As that happens my natural reaction is to pull away and seek to preserve myself. Help me find the prudence needed to choose wisely between taking care of myself and being greedy.

You are the God who works wonders and the God who makes His strength known to the peoples. I pray today that I be constantly reminded that the success of my journey depends on Your resources; not my own.