Finish Strong.

Opportunities come to each of us, obviously, at a point in Time; but the “desire” and “willingness” to give— as an example of a divinely ordained opportunity, to use Paul’s language in 2 Corinthians 8:10-12— may be waiting all along.  “Willingness” is from prothumia meaning- ‘zeal, spirit, eagerness, inclination;’ it speaks of a ‘readiness’ to act.  The Lesson for Life is a simple one.  Finish what you started ...whatever it is!  The Highway to Hell is paved with the good intentions of an unbelieving world.  Likewise, among the Children of God, those trying to slink away from Jesus unnoticed are often filled with what they imagine are ‘good intentions,’ and just as often blinded to the reality of their motives by an enormous amount of self-deception.  The point is, and I want you to ask yourself this question.  What have I been putting off, shoving aside, burying beneath my ‘busyness,’ or procrastinating over, that needs to be done?  Answer this.  Then do it, and do it now!

One thing I know to be unequivocally true in this realm of our spirituality, our intimacy with Abba: You will never experience the joy of generosity and graciousness until deep desire takes hold of your heart.  And when it does, follow it through, walk it out to the Finish.

And where does this deepened desire going to come from?  It’s going to come from the Word of the Living God taking hold by faith in our hearts!  The Word deepens our desires: for Life, for love, and for grace.  The Word of God will give you the desire to give, whether you have or don’t have, a little or a lot.  The “Word of God is living and active,” remember?  It’s keen enough to penetrate and divide between the “soul and spirit,” critiquing both our “thoughts” and our “attitudes,” both what we think and why we think it {Heb. 4:12}.  And it’s the only thing on Earth with this kind of power of perception.  When it goes to work in the deep places of the human heart, “nothing in all Creation is hidden from God’s sight” says the author of Hebrews {4:13a}.  Our faulty motivations get exposed, and our desire to glorify self gets redeemed, transformed into a hunger to see Jesus lifted high!

Your desire to give will deepen as your love for Abba grows.  Conversely, if your love for Abba isn’t growing, what do you think is going to happen to your desire to give, to serve, to be engaged in the Cause of your King?  It’s going to fall off the face of the Earth.  Quite simply and quite literally.

HJC	Ric Webb  |  Shepherd Heart’s Journey Community 9621 Tall Timber Blvd. |  Little Rock, AR 72204 t +1.501.455.0296
hjcommunity.org
Heart’s Journey – Live Generously and Love Graciously