Think about giving – it's truly beautiful in God's eyes. When you're preparing your offering, remember it should be your best, given with a sincere heart. It should be a joyful act, knowing how much God has already blessed us with, even when we don't deserve it. He's been incredibly generous, hasn't He?
If you only give what's leftover, well, life might just mirror that back to you. Think about it – give as if you're giving to yourself. Don't do it out of obligation or because you expect something in return. True giving comes from the heart.
Don't make a big show of it either. It's not about getting praised or patted on the back. Let your giving be a quiet act between you and God. He sees what's in your heart, and He loves a cheerful giver. Remember what it says in 2 Corinthians 9:7: "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
Giving is an act of worship, a way to give back a portion of what God has already given us. And when God gives, He gives abundantly. When you offer from the heart, you're opening the door for even more blessings. The more you give, the more you receive. It's a beautiful cycle.
I setMy bowin the cloud,and it shall be for a signof a covenantbetweenMe and the earth."It shall comeabout, when I bringa cloudoverthe earth,that the bowwill be seenin the cloud,and I will rememberMy covenant,whichis betweenMe and you and everylivingcreatureof allflesh;and neveragainshall the waterbecomea floodto destroyallflesh.
"I will establishMy covenantbetweenMe and you and your descendantsafteryou throughout their generationsfor an everlastingcovenant,to be Godto you and to your descendantsafteryou."I will giveto you and to your descendantsafteryou, the landof your sojournings,allthe landof Canaan,for an everlastingpossession;and I will be their God."
Then he tookthe bookof the covenantand read[it] in the hearingof the people;and they said,"Allthat the LORDhas spokenwe will do,and we will be obedient!"So Mosestookthe bloodand sprinkled[it] on the people,and said,"Beholdthe bloodof the covenant,whichthe LORDhas madewith you in accordancewith allthesewords."
So I will turntowardyou and make you fruitfuland multiplyyou, and I will confirmMy covenantwith you.You will eatthe oldsupplyand clearout the oldbecauseof the new.Moreover, I will makeMy dwellingamongyou, and My soulwill not rejectyou.I will also walkamongyou and be your God,and you shall be My people.
"See,I have setbeforeyou todaylifeand prosperity,and deathand adversity;in that I commandyou todayto lovethe LORDyour God,to walkin His waysand to keepHis commandmentsand His statutesand His judgments,that you may liveand multiply,and that the LORDyour Godmay blessyou in the landwhereyou are enteringto possessit.
"Behold,daysare coming,"declaresthe LORD,"when I will makea newcovenantwith the houseof Israeland with the houseof Judah,not like the covenantwhichI madewith their fathersin the dayI tookthem by the handto bringthem out of the landof Egypt,My covenantwhichthey broke,although I was a husbandto them," declaresthe LORD."But thisis the covenantwhichI will makewith the houseof Israelafterthosedays,"declaresthe LORD,"I will putMy lawwithinthem and on their heartI will writeit; and I will be their God,and they shall be My people."They will not teachagain,eachmanhis neighborand eachmanhis brother,saying,'Knowthe LORD,'for they will allknowMe, from the leastof them to the greatestof them," declaresthe LORD,"for I will forgivetheir iniquity,and their sinI will remembernomore."
Now the LORDsaidto Abram,"Goforth from your country,And from your relativesAnd from your father'shouse,To the landwhichI will showyou;And I will makeyou a greatnation,And I will blessyou, And makeyour namegreat;And so you shall be a blessing;And I will blessthose who blessyou, And the one who cursesyou I will curse.And in you allthe familiesof the earthwill be blessed."
and said,"By Myself I have sworn,declaresthe LORD,becauseyou have donethisthingand have not withheldyour son,your onlyson,indeedI will greatlyblessyou, and I will greatlymultiplyyour seedas the starsof the heavensand as the sandwhichis on the seashore;and your seedshall possessthe gateof their enemies."In your seedallthe nationsof the earthshall be blessed,becauseyou have obeyedMy voice."
Brethren,I speakin termsof humanrelations:even thoughit is [only] a man'scovenant,yetwhen it has been ratified,no onesets it asideoradds conditionsto it.Nowthe promiseswere spokento Abrahamand to his seed.He does not say,"And to seeds,"as [referring] to many,but [rather] to one,"And to your seed,"that is, Christ.
"Then it shall comeabout, becauseyou listento thesejudgmentsand keepand dothem, that the LORDyour Godwill keepwith you His covenantand His lovingkindnesswhichHe sworeto your forefathers."He will loveyou and blessyou and multiplyyou; He will also blessthe fruitof your womband the fruitof your ground,your grainand your newwineand your oil,the increaseof your herdand the youngof your flock,in the landwhichHe sworeto your forefathersto giveyou.
For finding faultwith them, He says,"BEHOLD,DAYSARE COMING,SAYSTHE LORD,WHENI WILL EFFECTA NEWCOVENANTWITH THE HOUSEOF ISRAELAND WITH THE HOUSEOF JUDAH;NOT LIKETHE COVENANTWHICHI MADEWITH THEIR FATHERSON THE DAYWHEN I TOOKTHEM BY THE HANDTO LEADTHEM OUT OF THE LANDOF EGYPT;FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUEIN MY COVENANT,AND I DID NOT CAREFOR THEM, SAYSTHE LORD."FOR THISIS THE COVENANTTHAT I WILL MAKEWITH THE HOUSEOF ISRAELAFTERTHOSEDAYS,SAYSTHE LORD:I WILL PUTMY LAWSINTO THEIR MINDS,AND I WILL WRITETHEM ON THEIR HEARTS.AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD,AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
The recordof the genealogyof Jesusthe Messiah,the sonof David,the sonof Abraham:Abrahamwas the fatherof Isaac,Isaacthe fatherof Jacob,and Jacobthe fatherof Judahand his brothers.Judahwas the fatherof Perezand Zerahby Tamar,Perezwas the fatherof Hezron,and Hezronthe fatherof Ram.Ramwas the fatherof Amminadab,Amminadabthe fatherof Nahshon,and Nahshonthe fatherof Salmon.Salmonwas the fatherof Boazby Rahab,Boazwas the fatherof Obedby Ruth,and Obedthe fatherof Jesse.Jessewas the fatherof Davidthe king.Davidwas the fatherof Solomonby Bathsheba who had been the wifeof Uriah.Solomonwas the fatherof Rehoboam,Rehoboamthe fatherof Abijah,and Abijahthe fatherof Asa.Asawas the fatherof Jehoshaphat,Jehoshaphatthe fatherof Joram,and Joramthe fatherof Uzziah.Uzziahwas the fatherof Jotham,Jothamthe fatherof Ahaz,and Ahazthe fatherof Hezekiah.Hezekiahwas the fatherof Manasseh,Manassehthe fatherof Amon, and Amonthe fatherof Josiah.Josiahbecame the fatherof Jeconiahand his brothers,at the timeof the deportationto Babylon.Afterthe deportationto Babylon:Jeconiahbecamethe fatherof Shealtiel,and Shealtielthe fatherof Zerubbabel.Zerubbabelwas the fatherof Abihud,Abihudthe fatherof Eliakim,and Eliakimthe fatherof Azor.Azorwas the fatherof Zadok,Zadokthe fatherof Achim,and Achimthe fatherof Eliud.Eliudwas the fatherof Eleazar,Eleazarthe fatherof Matthan, and Matthanthe fatherof Jacob.Jacobwas the fatherof Josephthe husbandof Mary,by whomJesuswas born,who is calledthe Messiah.Soallthe generationsfrom Abrahamto Davidare fourteengenerations;from Davidto the deportationto Babylon,fourteengenerations;and from the deportationto Babylonto the Messiah,fourteengenerations.
For as manyas are of the worksof the Laware undera curse;for it is written,"CURSEDIS EVERYONEWHODOES NOT ABIDEBY ALL THINGSWRITTENIN THE BOOKOF THE LAW,TO PERFORMTHEM."Nowthat no oneis justifiedby the LawbeforeGodis evident;for, "THE RIGHTEOUS MANSHALL LIVEBY FAITH."However,the Lawis not of faith;on the contrary,"HE WHO PRACTICESTHEM SHALL LIVEBY THEM."Christredeemedus from the curseof the Law,having becomea cursefor us-- for it is written,"CURSEDIS EVERYONEWHO HANGSON A TREE"--in orderthat in ChristJesusthe blessingof Abrahammight cometo the Gentiles,sothat we would receivethe promiseof the Spiritthroughfaith.
And behold,the LORDstoodaboveit and said,"I am the LORD,the Godof your fatherAbrahamand the Godof Isaac;the landon whichyou lie,I will giveit to you and to your descendants."Your descendantswill also be like the dustof the earth,and you will spreadout to the westand to the eastand to the northand to the south;and in you and in your descendantsshall allthe familiesof the earthbe blessed."Behold,I am with you and will keepyou whereveryou go,and will bringyou backto thisland;for I will not leaveyou untilI have donewhatI have promisedyou."
"I callheavenand earthto witnessagainst you today,that I have setbeforeyou lifeand death,the blessingand the curse.So chooselifein orderthat you may live,you and your descendants,by lovingthe LORDyour God,by obeyingHis voice,and by holdingfastto Him; for thisis your lifeand the lengthof your days,that you may livein the landwhichthe LORDsworeto your fathers,to Abraham,Isaac,and Jacob,to givethem."
But the LORDwas pleasedTo crushHim, putting[Him] to grief;IfHe would renderHimself[as] a guiltoffering,He will see[His] offspring,He will prolong[His] days,And the goodpleasureof the LORDwill prosperin His hand.As a resultof the anguishof His soul,He will see[it and] be satisfied;By His knowledgethe RighteousOne,My Servant,will justifythe many,As He will beartheir iniquities.
Thussaysthe LORD,"In a favorabletimeI have answeredYou, And in a dayof salvationI have helpedYou; And I will keepYou and giveYou for a covenantof the people,To restorethe land,to make [them] inheritthe desolateheritages;Sayingto those who are bound,'Goforth,'To those whoare in darkness,'Showyourselves.' Alongthe roadsthey will feed,And their pasture[will be] on allbareheights.
The lawof the LORDis perfect,restoringthe soul;The testimonyof the LORDis sure,makingwisethe simple.The preceptsof the LORDare right,rejoicingthe heart;The commandmentof the LORDis pure,enlighteningthe eyes.The fearof the LORDis clean,enduringforever;The judgmentsof the LORDare true;they are righteousaltogether.They are moredesirablethangold,yes, thanmuchfinegold;Sweeteralso thanhoneyand the drippingsof the honeycomb.
Blessthe LORD,O my soul!O LORDmy God,You are verygreat;You are clothedwith splendorand majesty,CoveringYourself with lightas with a cloak,Stretchingout heavenlike a [tent] curtain.He laysthe beamsof His upperchambersin the waters;He makesthe cloudsHis chariot;He walksupon the wingsof the wind;He makesthe windsHis messengers,FlamingfireHis ministers.He establishedthe earthupon its foundations,So that it will not totterforeverand ever.