“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.” 2 Corinthians 9:7
I read a devotion recently that had a story that I thought would be worth sharing. The story began shortly after World War II came to a close and Europe had begun to pick up the broken pieces and began planning to rebuild. Much of the Europe had been ravaged by war and was in ruins. Perhaps the saddest sight of all was that of little orphaned children starving in the streets of those war-torn cities. It reminded me of hungry children in Haiti, Ukraine and sadly…our Southern border.
The story continued to tell about an American soldier who was making his way back to the barracks in London. As he turned the corner in his jeep, he spotted a little child with his nose pressed to the window of a pastry shop. Inside, the baker was kneading dough for a fresh batch of doughnuts. The hungry boy stared in silence, watching every move. The soldier pulled his jeep to the curb, stopped, got out, and walked quietly over to where the little child was standing. Through the steamed-up window, the child could see the mouth-watering morsels being pulled from the oven, piping hot. The boy salivated and released a slight groan as he watched the baker place them onto the glass-enclosed counter ever so carefully. The soldier's heart went out to the nameless orphan as he stood beside him. "Son...would you like some of those?" The boy was startled, "Oh, yeah I would!" The American stepped inside and bought a dozen, put them in a bag, and walked back to where the boy was standing in the foggy cold of the London morning. The soldier smiled, held out the bag, and said simply: "Here you are." As he turned to walk away, he felt a tug on his coat. He looked back and heard the child ask quietly: "Mister…are you God?"
I’ve been writing devotions for Trinity HOPE for over 15 years and have been prayerfully encouraging you to pray for Haitian children, their school feeding programs and join me in being a donor if the Spirit moves you. In the above scripture God tells us He "loves a cheerful giver" and He promises us that the one "who is generous will be blessed" in Proverbs 22:9. My North American friend…let's believe Him!
Deep down inside most Christians in the U.S. that I know, is a deep-seated desire to release instead of keep; to give instead of grab. Now, may God go before you to guide you...may His hands be beneath you to support you, around you to protect you and above you to bless you. And may the blessings of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you today and every moment along your journey until you reach Paradise. Amen.
May God be with you,
Jay