-- Sunday, 7/31/11 -- KEEP IT SECRET - Matthew 6:1-4
J.R. & Bonnie Ricks
Take a Minute is a daily devotional ministry of
Dogwood Ministries, Inc.
If you need prayer… contact our partners in ministry…
SJ Ministries - Ministry of Prayer
Or simply send your request to SJMini...@aol.com
All other requests, please see the end of the devotional
for Dogwood Ministries addresses
KEEP IT SECRET – Matthew 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.”
I once read a story about a family who chose to really give the way God intends for us to give. They had heard about another family that was suffering greatly due to circumstances beyond their control. There was no money for food, much less paying any bills. Our giving family decided to do something about it, and set out to gather everything they could to make life better for the family in need. When they had everything gathered that they’d been seeking (and it only took them a few days!), they waited until after midnight one night, then paid a silent visit to the needy family. They quietly piled everything they’d collected – food, clothing, detergent, toiletries, and over $2,000 in cash on the needy family's doorstep, rang the doorbell, and ran, disappearing into the night. They hid where they knew they wouldn’t be seen, then watched as the sleepy father came to the door. He flipped on the porch light, then stood there staring at the mounds of gifts, his mouth agape. He even rubbed his eyes and shook his head, obviously to make sure he wasn’t dreaming! He called out to his wife and then his children, who all stumbled sleepily to the door, then gasped at what they saw. After a bit of “who in the world would do this” discussion between them, they all walked outside and stood staring at the piles of gifts. Right on top was a large envelope with “OPEN ME FIRST” written in Magic Marker on the front. The father opened the envelope, then nearly collapsed when he pulled out all the cash. By the time he finished counting it, he and his wife were both in tears. Eventually, he told the children to gather everything up and carry it inside (they had been digging through the piles, looking at everything while he and his wife were counting the money). After everything had been carried inside, the father went to the door, then turned, looking up and said, “Lord, I praise you and thank you for this unexpected and much needed bounty. I give you all the credit, but could you also tell your servants who helped you that I said thank you – from the bottom of my heart?”
God got all the glory for that act of giving. The givers remained anonymous. The only one who got any praise was the Lord.
Although it’s best to keep our “good works” secret, sometimes, there is just no way to do that. But that’s okay – as long as you don’t brag about it, and when you’re thanked, you give GOD the credit and don’t take any for yourself. The point Jesus was making was we should not do our “good works” in such a way as to make sure that the world knows how “giving” we are… flaunting our “righteousness” before others so that we can be lauded with praise. Rather, our “acts of righteousness” should be done with humble hearts, in secret if possible, and if not, then making sure that we give GOD all the glory, keeping none for ourselves.
Today, think about those around you who might need something only you can give them… a kind word or word of encouragement… a car repair that they can’t afford… a single mom who could stand a few hours’ break from her children… a single man who desperately needs some buttons sewn on, ripped seams repaired, or a good, home-cooked meal with good company. Do you know a family whose only vehicle desperately needs some kind of repair? Make arrangements to have the repairs done, telling the repair shop to NOT reveal your name, but to call the family and have them bring the vehicle in for the needed repairs. Do you know someone who desperately needs a good job, and also a company that’s looking for someone with those exact skills? Call the person who does the hiring for the company and tell them about the one who needs the job, including his/her phone number, then ask to be left out of the discussion as to how the company got his/her name.
Those are just a few thoughts that come to mind – things that you can do to help others, and sometimes, that you can do anonymously. If you put your mind to it, you can probably come up with a longer list of things you could do for those around you, and even those in other places who could use “a leg up” in some way. Remember, those who suffered great losses because of hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and all sorts of other natural disasters are probably still in need, so there’s a place to start if you can’t think of any others.
No matter what you do, just make sure that GOD gets all the glory and none of it comes to you.
All Bible quotes contained in these devotionals are from the New International Version 1984 (NIV1984), unless otherwise specified.
--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--
Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DogwoodMinistries and become a Fan!
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TakeAMinute" group.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email with “Unsubscribe” in the subject line to J-R-and...@dogwoodministries.org
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/takeaminute
General correspondence or to subscribe to Take a Minute: J-R-and...@dogwoodministries.org
Donations to Dogwood Ministries: http://www.dogwoodministries.org
Personal correspondence to Bonnie Ricks: bon...@dogwoodministries.org
Personal correspondence to J.R. Ricks: j...@dogwoodministries.org
--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--