Don't Hold Back 9-12-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lead me as I linger in the stillness before You at the start of this day. … "All day long the wicked covet, but the righteous give and do not hold back" (Proverbs 21:26). In times of uncertainty, the tendency of the flesh is to covet and horde. But the nature of the Spirit is to give even more. The gifts and graces of God are given to us for the very purpose of giving them away to others. Like the waters of the Jordan that flow into the Dead Sea, they grow stagnant and stale unless they continue to flow through our lives and into the lives of others. Then they become part of the flow of Your Spirit as streams of living water, bringing healing and life to all they touch (Ezekiel 47:9). " 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.' Now He said this about the Spirit, which believers in Him were to receive" (John 7:38-39). Lord, help me not hold back. Freely have I received, help me freely give (Matthew 10:8). Help me know the gifts You have given me to give away to others. Remind me that the measure I give will be the measure I receive -- "a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over" (Luke 6:38). My gifts are not exactly the same as anyone else's gifts, but they are the gifts You have given me for the purposes You have called me to reflect Your image and to minister Your love through my life. "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good" (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). By Your grace and for Your glory, I choose to give and not hold back, to care and not covet. And then by the mystery of faith and the principles of Your Kingdom, I will gain far more than I can ever give. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! this Friday night at 7 pm for our ministry's monthly gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship in the chapel of Centenary United Methodist Church, 2800 Tates Creek Road in Lexington. Come be refreshed and renewed as we drink deeply from the Living Waters. All are welcome! Call us for information at 859-317-1591 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com