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bigmike

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.
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DAILY DEVOTION
God Gives Freely
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
James 1:2-6
Perhaps the most famous miser in all of fiction is found in Charles Dickens' novel, A Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Scrooge is wealthy, but his heart is closed to the needs of others. When he is approached by two men who are attempting to raise funds for the poor, Scrooge suggests the poor could go to the poor house or the debtor's prison and refuses to give. When he is pressed he responds: "I wish to be left alone. ... Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don't make merry myself at Christmas and I can't afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned: they cost enough: and those who are badly off must go there."
All of us know people who are stingy and tightfisted with their resources.
We certainly would not expect to find it easy to talk them into helping us if we had a need. God is not like that. Rather than grasping and holding on to what He has, He freely and graciously responds to our pleas for help.
Jesus said, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matthew 7:11). Whatever the need-spiritual, physical, financial, directional, or anything else-He is willing and able to help. In every conflict and trial, God has the answer, and we must go to Him in faith expecting our needs to be met.
We do not have to persuade God to help us-He delights in doing so.
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