Psalm 62:11-12:
11God has spoken once, twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God. 12Also to You, O Lord, belong mercy and loving-kindness, for You render to every man according to his work.
The phrase including "Once" and "Twice" is a Hebrew way of saying "many times, repeatedly". What is worth repeating many times? That "power", the Hebrew word, "`oz", which means: strength in various applications, force, security, majesty, praise, boldness, loudness, might, belongs to God and that "mercy", the Hebrew word, "checed", which means: goodness, kindness, faithfulness, favour, mercy, also belong to God. Does that bring anything immediately to mind for you? It does for me! I am reminded of something I hear at The Spoken Word Church a LOT! It is the Truth that God is 100% ABLE (Power) to meet my needs, and that He is even more WILLING (Mercy, Favour) than He is ABLE (If that's possible!) So I have heard this "many times repeatedly" and it sounds better every time I hear it! Thank You, Jesus!
Mark 12: 41-44:
41And He sat down opposite the treasury and saw how the crowd was casting money into the treasury. Many rich [people] were throwing in large sums. 42And a widow who was poverty-stricken came and put in two copper mites [the smallest of coins], which together make half of a cent. 43And He called His disciples [to Him] and said to them, Truly and surely I tell you, this widow, [she who is] poverty-stricken, has put in more than all those contributing to the treasury. 44For they all threw in out of their abundance; but she, out of her deep poverty, has put in everything that she had--[even] all she had on which to live.
I love this account of the widow giving all that she had! I KNOW that we can't out-give God, so she had to have been tremendously blessed in her life! I like this from the Bible Exposition Commentary:
There were thirteen trumpet-shaped chests around the walls of the court of the women, and here the people dropped in their offerings. The rich made a big production out of their giving (see Matt 6:1-4), but Jesus rejected them and their gifts. It is not the portion but the proportion that is important: the rich gave out of their abundance, but the poor widow gave all that she had. For the rich, their gifts were a small contribution, but for the widow, her gift was true consecration of her whole life.
In which group are you?
The Holy Spirit had our Pastor begin proportionate giving many years ago at The Spoken Word Church! We pledge a certain (OUR choice!) percentage of our income, over and above our Tithe, that is to go to provide for our partners who are taking the Gospel all around the world! It has been one of the best ways to learn how to walk in Divine Prosperity! Try it! you'll be glad you did! AMEN!
Isaiah 37-38 show us two different times and circumstances in which King Hezekiah turned to the Lord for help. One was for the nation when faced with attacks from other nations and the other was because of a physical attack on Hezekiah's body. In both instances God spoke to Hezekiah through the prophet Isaiah, and both times he was delivered! Hezekiah had faith in God to answer His prayers! We have a better Covenant which is based on better promises, so pray, believing you receive when you pray, and you WILL have it!
Shalom in Him!
