Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Daily Devotional for October 7, 2008‏



Isaiah 32:8 "But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand."
Liberal Can Be Good!

Is the word liberal a good or bad word to you? No matter your views politically, the word liberal is usually taken as an insult by politicians, even if they truly are liberals. The word liberal just means "generous." So it can be both a good and a bad term, depending upon what the liberal person is being generous with. A "liberal" in relation to Scripture is someone who is generous or loose with the Bible-not a good thing. A "liberal" in relation to government is someone who is generous or loose with the laws and money of the land. But a "liberal" in relation to life is someone who lives generously, giving of their time and possessions. Of this kind of "liberal," God has many good things to say.

In Isaiah 32, we see this simple truth: a generous person is known by his actions. In other words, it is impossible to be generous of heart without actually giving to those around you. Profound truth, isn't it? Verse 8 says, "But the liberal deviseth liberal things. . . ." What you are will come out in what you do.

Weeks ago, I was in a service and saw a pastor friend wearing a nice, western-cut brush jacket, and I was quick to compliment him on it. He responded by having me try it on right there-it fit like a glove. Then he said, "You like this jacket? It's yours!" You are probably wondering what I did next? I responded, "I like your boots too!" Of course he knew I was just kidding. This same man also sent my family a tire swing because we enjoyed his while at his house.

When I think of this pastor friend, I always think of his generosity to my family. And do you know how I want to treat him in return? I want to be generous right back! A different man recently told me that he prays for me regularly. Guess who I now pray for regularly? Yep-this man who gives of his time to pray for me. Do you want to be a generous person? Start giving of yourself, your time, and your possessions for the good of others.

We also see in verse 8 that the generous person "stands" by his actions. This simply means that all of his giving will in turn come back to him. This truth is found throughout Scripture. Proverbs tells us, "He that watereth shall be watered." Luke says, "Give, and it shall be given unto you." Matthew 7:12 says, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them."
The Lord cares for the man who gives of himself for God's sake and the sake of others.
Also remember that every person is judged and rewarded for his actions. Someone who is greedy and selfish will have others be greedy and selfish in return. On the other hand, the generous man will be rewarded over and over again. A generous man need never worry about living in drought-his life will be fruitful.

My granddad used to say to those adults who brought campers with them for a week of camp, "If ever you've lived for someone else, live for someone else this week." The truth is, we should live everyweek with that attitude! Is your life characterized by generosity? The generous life is a fruitful life!


Prayer Requests:
1. Bill Rice Ranch Ladies Retreat (Oct. 9-11)
2. Ranch Evangelists preaching tonight in Petersburg, IN; and Walls, MS.

For more information about the Bill Rice Ranch visit our website: billriceranch.org

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