I took some notes after reading my devotional yesterday from Henry & Richard Blackaby’s Experiencing God Day by Day. And it is still staying with me. I keeps coming back to me. When God repeats things to me, I pay attention.

The notes I took yesterday are:
* when you struggle in giving what you have to others, you have forgotten where you received your possessions. EVERYTHING points back to the Lord
* Every good thing we have ever received comes from God.
* Sometimes we claim we are trying to be good stewards of our resources when actually we are being selfish.
* Freely you have received, freely give.
Matthew 10:8b

I thought back over my life how I have bee selfish with things and didn’t want to give to others and how God must have been displeased with me, but also how I have been convicted over it and asked the Lord for forgiveness and worked on not being that way. Pushing past the feelings and doing what is right. And then I’ve been on the other side of that where people have held back giving to me because of selfishness. We’ve all done it. It’s just….what are you doing now about it. Have you changed? Is it easier to give now. Cuz, some things take practice. You have to teach yourself how to do better.

I’m always checking myself and re-checking myself again to make sure I’m operating out of a clean heart, a pure place. Because, your intention may start out good…but we are humans, born into a sinful nature and sometimes our flesh, our desires get the better of us and we don’t do the right thing.

I say often, when I get to heaven…I want to be empty because I gave it all here on earth.

Everyday, God gives freely to me and I want to give freely to Him and others.