Category: Uncategorized

Intro:
Hi, this is Dorette Schaal with an Encouraging Word for your day. This month celebrates seven years for me doing dailyeword as a radio show. We continue airing and publishing dailyeword, every day of the week, throughout the year. Your dailyeword keeps undergoing changes to make it better for you. It seems I was blogging before blogging was cool, starting way back in 2001 I was writing a weekly devotional for adults and kids! In addition to being on the radio at KAGF at 105.5, you can read daily words of encouragement on our agf.org website, which links to my blog, dailyeword.com. I would be delighted if you invite your friends about listen to or read my blog. And if you like what I do, please let me know! You can find me on twitter, and Facebook at Encouraging Word. Here is todays dailyeword as we continue talking about growing spiritually, working it out, day by day.

When it comes to generous living, giving of actual money is a very important element. God set up the system so that we live under the umbrella of blessing when we give back to him from what he has given us. It is called the law of sowing and reaping, or the principle of the farm, or the seed. What you sow will grow! As Christians, who have the ability to work, love calls us to invest our energies into making money so that we can provide for the needs of our families, and have more than enough to give away. How do you determine what to give away? The Bible makes it very clear that the tithe, or 10% belongs to God. He gets the cream off the top, and we should order our lives to give that first. Our expenditures should never exceed our income, after we have given our tithe and offerings, and put away a percentage for saving for the future. That is not common thinking in our world. Many people live paycheck to paycheck, and then put on credit cards whatever extra they need. That is part of the reason the world is in the financial mess it is today. As Christians, let’s be good stewards. Let’s give God what is His, and use, save and invest the rest wisely. If we want the ability to be generous with our money, we must be good stewards! We must make decisions based on Godly priorities.
When it comes to actually making a decision of where to sow your offering (remember the tithe goes to the storehouse – so 10% goes to your church- the offering is above the tithe), here are some simple criteria. Because there are so many good causes you can give to, think big picture. Here are two really good questions to ask. 1) Is the organization I am giving to Christian or based on Christian principles? 2) Do they use any of the money I give to support things I don’t believe in? When we answer these questions we can give generously to those who really will benefit from our gifts. We can increase in our generosity this year as we continue to grow spiritually!

Today we are going to look at generosity in a different light. When we think of generosity, we usually think of money, but we can be generous with our abilities. The fingerprint of God is in your life, and God has gifted each of us with talents and abilities that He wants us to use to bless others. We can look to the big picture and see that the purpose he gifted us how he did is so that we can build the kingdom of God. His expression of love in you, can be your expression of love to the world! So what is it that you are gifted at? What are you good at, and what do you like to do? You can be generous with your gifts you give to others. I get to see it all the time in a church setting where people give of their time and volunteer to minister to others….from greeters, to ushers, to altar workers, to the hospitality team, to the interns, to the Bible Study and Life development class leaders, to the children’s workers, to the office volunteers, to the grounds maintenance. There are people that give hours each week to make everything that happens in church run smoothly. They are using their gifts and abilities, to bless others, and to bless the kingdom of God. That is an act of generosity. What happens as we do that, wherever we give our time, is that we experience satisfaction. When we realize we are called to love, we can find ways to use our abilities, beyond the context of our job. To find the best fit in the secular world for a job, often begins with finding your God given abilities and then funneling them into a career. Then we can use what we are gifted at, not only to earn a living, but to bless the world! Your generosity can go way beyond your job. How can you be generous with your abilities? What can you do? Can you read to children or the elderly? Can you help single men learn to cook? Can you rake leaves? Can you organize a tornado? Can you……fill in the blank! We all can be generous with our abilities and work it out and grow spiritually.

Today as we talk about developing a generous spirit, I want to encourage you to think about the gift of time. You may have heard it said that kids spell love, T-I-M-E, but really, everybody spells love T-I-M-E. In today’s culture, time is one of the most important things we can offer someone. To give of our time is to give of a portion of our life. Let’s look at some ways we can give time to others. By….
Getting to know someone- Until you take time to know someone, you are not likely to help them.
Asking good questions- Taking time to ask deeper questions helps build relationship and show that you value the other person.
Being a good listener – Offering a listening ear can go a long way in bringing hope and help to those who are hurting.
Spending family time – Being generous in offering time to our families is an important step in giving. The urgent things in your life, may not be the most important.
Sacrificing time- You are the only one who can decide how to invest your time. If we have our hearts set on giving, we’ll be looking for opportunities where we can give the gift of time to someone else.
So look at your schedule, look at the priorities in your life, look to the big picture, and make some changes if you need to.

The next thing to look at is what are your time wasters? Are there things that just drain your precious time that you could eliminate? You can probably think of a few right off the bat. You can’t say your kids or your spouses!!! They are worth your time! Think of things that pull you away from those important people in your life. Could it be your phone, the tv, the computer, or video games? Are you addicted to social media, or maybe even the news? If you log the time you spend on these daily, you might be surprised on how much extra time you might find to go kick the soccer ball with your son, play cards with your kids, or take your spouse on a date. Don’t forget how important giving of time is to the quality of your “love” life. Let’s make generosity with time a way of life!

What are some creative ways you can give of yourself daily to those you love? It can be as simple as an extra hug as you become more generous with your affection, or handing your spouse a $20 bill and telling them to buy something for themselves that day. Operating in a spirit of generosity really has amazing results. Not only are you blessed as the giver, but someone else receives a blessing as you give. Why not determine to develop a generous spirit, and be more generous with others than you ever have been before. Have you noticed when you do give, that joy and energy accompanies your giving? There is something that happens on the inside of us when we give from the heart with an attitude of love. It is a feeling of satisfaction that the world can’t take away! Besides just seeing someone else be blessed, we get to experience the rewards of improved relationships that bring and energy and enthusiasm that nothing can replace. So let’s be ready, willing and on the lookout for ways we can give to others. Here are two things to think about when it comes to giving our “stuff” away to bless someone else 1) Most of us have much more than we need. Ladies, just look at how many shoes you have! I know there might be a few of you who just have 3 pair, but generally speaking, many women I know have more shoes than they will ever wear. Men, perhaps you have extra tools in your garage that might bless a young carpenter, or maybe there is even an extra car in your garage that could be a blessing to a single mom, whose own car is on its last leg (or tire!). Crisis centers can always use blankets, pillows, sheets, and you might have extras you can give. So number 1) find where you have extras or excess, and bless someone else. 2) Hold things loosely. Too often our earthly possessions become more important in our lives than they should be. What “thing or things” in your life hold a spot that is too tight? Sometimes it can happen honestly, we get our grandmother’s china and are furious if anyone chips it or, God forbid, would drop and break it. We have given the china a place of honor because of our grandmother’s memory. Without realizing, we can damage the spirit of someone in our life, because we hold more tightly to the china, than we do to the relationship. Let’s value relationships over “stuff” and keep developing a generous spirit.

How important is it that we develop a generous spirit? Generosity represents who God is, and because we are to be like Him, we should be generous too. Generosity is giving your attention, your time, your abilities, your money and your compassion freely to others. Jesus said in Matt 10:42, that even giving a glass of water to someone who is thirsty would be rewarded. I love the simplicity of that thought. Giving of ourselves doesn’t have to be extravagant to get God’s attention. He is watching us to see if we are watching others. Are we sensitive to the needs of others? Do we notice when someone needs something as small as a bottle of water that will quench their thirst and meet a physical need in their life? God notices! We think He just notices the million dollar gifts, or the gifts and donations that man applauds. God sees when we give in small and in big ways. The most important thing He notices is the attitude of our heart. If we are looking for the world’s applause with our generosity, that is all the reward we will get. If we are looking to be a blessing, and don’t care if anyone notices, our reward will be great. The greatest reward for living generously is eternal, but the immediate satisfaction, and gratification that comes from being a blessing to someone else, is a feeling that is so wonderful, it is hard to describe. So how can we experience that wonderful feeling of joy on a regular basis? Be generous! Why not become a regular giver? We can creatively think of ways, every day, to give to others.

Today we are going to talk about generosity and simplicity as we “Work it Out”. Whenever I think of the most giving person I know, I can’t help but think of God himself. What a giver He is! Because He is Love, His whole nature is to give. Giving and loving definitely go hand in hand. As we look at generosity this week, I want us to consider ways that we can give ourselves to others. Generosity involves money, but it is much more than just money. Generosity is giving your attention, your time, your abilities, your compassion, or your money freely to others. When we think about how much we have freely received from God (Matt 10:8), we can be a conduit that continues the cycle, and show God’s generosity to others. So how can we give of ourselves to others? One of the greatest ways to begin being a more generous person is to begin developing a spirit of generosity around your life. When given the opportunity to give, determine to contribute what you can. That could mean opening your heart to the needs of others. Begin looking at your own stuff, and notice extras that are excess, or just take up space. One of the easiest places to do this is in your closet. Do you have something that you don’t ever use that could be a blessing to someone else? Why not give it to them! Another area is in our garage, or storage unit, if you have one. Why do we store an extra couch, or whatever, when someone we know might need one right now. Generosity does involve developing a giving spirit, but it also means we develop a heart for helping and serving others. How can what God has given to me, be a blessing to someone else, can be the question we ask ourselves regularly. The one foundational scripture that probably all of us can quote that gives us the best example of the love/generosity connection is John3:16. For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son…….. God so loved, that he gave. We can show love, and sow love, by giving. Let’s keep our eyes open, and let’s expect our hearts to be enlarged as we develop a spirit of giving.

Meditating on God’s Word is really a great way to fill up the reservoir of your spirit. Everyday things drain life from us. It could be a difficult relationship, an unhappy boss, insecurities, low self image, overwhelming bills, a job loss, to many responsibilities, not enough time, or a myriad of things. One way to refill your reservoir and plug the drain is to meditate on the Word of God.

Some of the most spirit-led people I know are those who have discovered the value and necessity of meditating on the Word, and praying in the Spirit. What this does is makes us more sensitive to the voice of God, and instead of just trying a million things to bring change in their own lives, they ask God for His specific directions for them. One great example I know of is a wonderful lady who has lost over 60 pounds in the last year. She was praying in the Spirit, and meditating on the Word of God, and in her spirit she sensed the voice of God as she read a scripture in Hebrews. She took it as her Word from God, and immediately her weight began to “fall” off. She found a secret that God really does have a specific plan for us that He want to reveal to us, and praise God, His Word is working in her!

Another reason to spend time meditating on the Word is so we can live in the overflow. If someone has a need, I want God to use me to help meet their need. To do this, we should be filled up to spill on someone else. This kind of spilling isn’t messy like a toddler spilling their food. This is the kind of spilling that is like oil rubbed on dry skin. It is like ointment on an open sore. This kind of spilling brings refreshing to the weary and gives strength to the weak. It is like a cup of cool water in a dry and thirsty land. Surely out of our bellies shall flow rivers of living water! (John 7:38)

One of the disciplines to grow spiritually is meditating on the Word of God. God was the one who thought up meditation, and anyone else or any other practice of meditating is just copying what God invented! Hi, this is Dorette Schaal with your dailyeword. Joshua 1:8 is a key scripture that shows the importance of meditating on the Word. It says very clearly that if we want to experience prosperity and success, we should keep the Word of God on our tongue and on our mind all the time, and then be obedient to do what it says.
We are continuing to Work It Out, and here is your daily eword about growing spiritually.

Monday Jan 26th

Experiencing prosperity and success can also be translated from another version of the Bible as dealing wisely in the things of life. I know I want to deal wisely in the things of life, and be able to give good advice to others who want to deal wisely in the situations they are in. That makes it so important that you and I spend time meditating on God’s Word every day. The illustration of a cow chewing her cud is a visual reminder of how important meditating on God’s Word is for a believer. We should daily take a morsel of God’s Word, and chew on it all day long. If we have an area we need to work on in our own life, we should find the scriptures that relate to our situation, and get them down deep into our heart. If we want real change in our life, we have to renew our mind to the Word of God. Rom 12:1 and 2 says that transformation takes place in our life as take the old thoughts out, and put the new thoughts that are “the truth” in their place. In II Cor 10:3,4,& 5, we can see that thoughts become imaginations, and imaginations can become strongholds. A strong hold is anything that holds us strongly. That explains the progression of how we can be in bondage because by the way we think. How do we change our thinking? A great place to begin is by meditating on God’s Word. Most of the time when we need an answer, God is just waiting for us to ask Him. We will go to everyone else to find out their opinion or what their solution for us would be. God wants us to ask Him, then meditate on the Word that applies to your certain situation. As we do, God will make His Word become freshly spoken to you.

What kind of believer do you want to be? We can be common and ordinary, average or even mediocre. God is calling us higher, to be above average, to live excellent lives, head and shoulders above the rest, with the essence of heaven as our aroma. As we have talked about disciplined and fruitful living, I want to have the aroma of heaven around me, and be this kind of person:
Sweet to the taste – If someone ate my fruit, they would find it sweet, not bitter but good tasting and satisfying.
I would hope a taste from my life would be pleasant and make them want more. More goodness, more joy, more life, more peace.
I would hope a taste of my life would be refreshing and restorative, not something that would bring destruction, but life giving in every way.
I would want to bring health, through my words and actions, and be a dream releaser, not a dream crusher.
And I would hope a taste of who I am, would be satisfying and bring peace, because who I am in Christ is translated has totally translated to who I am as a person..
As we continue this path of grace to the disciplined life, my prayer for you is that you would be a person who lives the Word, and is not just a hearer only. That you would be one who acts on what you know is right to do, because you are walking the disciplined path of grace.

Living a disciplined life and a fruitful life are a few of my long term goals. I want to be an old lady that is physically fit, but even more important is that I am spiritually fit as I grow older in God. I don’t want to fizzle out in the end, or wither up, but I want to be fruitful, even in to old age, as it says in Psalms 92. We can be fruitful for the long term, because the seed that was planted at salvation continues to grow and produce fruit. We are still a work in progress. We are still under construction. The seed is still growing in us! He who began a good work in us, will perform it! (Phil 1:6) We should be more and more fruitful the longer we serve the Lord. Here’s a poem I wrote to remind you of that!

We shall be, like a tree, planted by the water
A fruitful vine, all the time, tended by the Father
Producing well, fruit baskets filled, mirroring our Savior
Just like Him, His seed within, walking in His favor

If we really want to shine for the kingdom of God, we can live a life of discipline and walk this path, that is paved with the grace of God.