Daily Devotional
God Wants Your Heart
“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
Luke 6:38
December 9, 2023
Ponder This
I heard about a corn farmer who had two boys. While the other boys were off fishing and hunting and running around, this farmer’s sons were working in the cornfields. Somebody asked that farmer, “Why do you work those boys so diligently? You don’t need all that corn.” He said, “I’m not raising corn—I’m raising boys.” Likewise, God is not simply raising money. What God is doing is growing Christians.
One sign that you’re getting right with God is that you trust God with your finances. You can sing all you want about how you love Jesus and all of that. You can have crocodile tears in your eyes, but the consecration that doesn’t reach every part of your life, even your wallet, has not reached your heart. It’s just idle talk.
I saw a bumper sticker that said “Tithe if you love Jesus. Anybody can blow their horn.” God wants your heart. That’s the reason He asks us to give because “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). The Lord knows what He’s up to. He just wants you to put Him first. That’s the reason he says in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
- What would it look like to trust God with your finances?
- What makes it hard to prioritize God in our finances?
Practice This
Look at your budget and pray about where you could grow in trusting God with your finances.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
