Generous

​Felipe dresses up as a clown.  Each Sunday he and his team of fellow youth workers from Iglesia Misionera Evangelica (I.M.E.), go to the poorest sections of Cerro de Pasco to minister to the children. As many as 40-60 kids come out to watch the antics of Bomba the clown, to sing and dance to Christian music and hear Bible stories.  Wonderful boys and girls glow with expectant smiles.  Their lungs produce hearty cheers and sweet melodies.  They held on to us with forever-loving grips.  In truth, they ministered to our team more than we did to them.  

​Underlying each I.M.E. church is a strong commitment to missions.  I have rarely encountered a group of churches as zealous about reaching the world with the gospel as I witnessed in each I.M.E. congregation. In Cerro de Pasco, even the poorest of the poor passionately understand God’s command to share the saving news of Jesus globally.  Youngsters find ways to save money and then bring what they have to the church to support missionaries most have never met.
 
Meditation
Psalm 112:5,6--Good will come to a man who lends generously and conducts his business fairly. He will never be shaken. The righteous man will be remembered forever.
Mark 12:42-44--And a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. Summoning His disciples, He said to them, “I assure you: This poor widow has put in more than all those giving to the temple treasury.  For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she possessed—all she had to live on.”
 
Little boys and girls gladly give what they have to further God’s work.  I can just see Jesus pointing to His angels and saying, “Look friends what my sons and daughters in Cerro de Pasco are doing!”  Generous hearts reveal faith, humility and selflessness. It was your generosity that sent us to Peru.  It is the giving hearts of Peruvian children that are making a difference around the world. God takes their small gifts and multiplies them like Jesus breaking five loaves and two fishes to feed thousands. Whenever you give to further God’s kingdom, you make an eternal investment.  In heaven you will be rewarded beyond your wildest imagination.
 
Inspiration
Giving with glad and generous hearts has a way of routing out the tough old miser within us.  Even the poor need to know that they can give. Just the very act of letting go of money, or some other treasure, does something within us.  It destroys the demon greed.—Richard J. Foster in Money, Sex & Power
The more you have the less you can give, and the less you have the more you can give.—Mother Teresa
I have never known a generous person to complain about how much money it takes to run a church. Poor givers gripe about how much it takes; generous givers express concern that they don't do more.  I have never known a family who tithed for any length of time who quit.  I have never known a generous family that was not generally happy. I have never known a stingy, miserly family that was not generally unhappy about many things. I have never known a person who was critical of most things, mad about many things, who was generous. I have come to believe that most people who feel we talk too much about money, never really want to talk about money at all. Generous people enjoy talking about it. I have come to believe that there is a direct connection that exists between a person's faith and a person's generosity. Those who give generously tend to become more faithful; and the reverse is true in both instances.—Author Unknown
 
©2002  Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box. Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)