Freely Give
Freely ye have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8
We have received so much from the hand of the Almighty. He has given us forgiveness, He has showered us with grace, He gave us Jesus Christ to redeem us, and He has overwhelmed us with His compassion and mercy. All of this has been given to us freely: it cost us nothing to receive it. In this text, Jesus was telling his disciples to reciprocate by giving to others because they had received so much from God as a free gift. This is the very principle that Jesus lived his life by while he sojourned here on earth. He knew what the Father in heaven had given him, so he freely gave to others. This was an act of worship on his part, and it can be with us, too. If we take this text as our own, and place it in front of our minds each day, what fruitage there will be for the Almighty, not only in our own lives, but also in the lives of those who are touched by us! Let us resolve this day to go forth with compassion, kindness, mercy and grace, touching the lives of those around us as we have been touched. Let the love of Jehovah flow through us to others that they, too, might “taste and see that the Lord is good.”
Father, help us to live like Jesus did: always giving and never expecting in return. Help us to reach out to those who are hurting, just as our Savior did. Help us to bear fruit for you. In Jesus' name, Amen.