1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:13,810 Speaker 1: Life Audio Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We're so glad 2 00:00:13,850 --> 00:00:17,530 Speaker 1: to have you listening. I'm Lynette Kittle, and today's topic 3 00:00:17,650 --> 00:00:22,300 Speaker 1: is The Quiet Generosity of God. We'll be right back 4 00:00:22,500 --> 00:00:40,530 Speaker 1: after a brief message from our sponsor, The Quiet Generosity 5 00:00:40,690 --> 00:00:45,550 Speaker 1: of God, written and read by Lynette Kittle. You will 6 00:00:45,590 --> 00:00:48,650 Speaker 1: be enriched in every way so that you can be 7 00:00:48,710 --> 00:00:54,410 Speaker 1: generous on every occasion, and through us, your generosity will 8 00:00:54,450 --> 00:01:02,180 Speaker 1: result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9.11 During this 9 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:05,559 Speaker 1: season of thanksgiving, we have much to be thankful to 10 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:09,750 Speaker 1: God about. because when it comes to talking about His generosity, 11 00:01:10,380 --> 00:01:14,179 Speaker 1: where do we begin? How do we even cover just 12 00:01:14,260 --> 00:01:17,980 Speaker 1: a small part of it, as His generosity to us 13 00:01:18,140 --> 00:01:24,270 Speaker 1: in this life and the life to come could fill libraries? Often, 14 00:01:24,530 --> 00:01:28,530 Speaker 1: we hear and see individuals raise their fists and voices, 15 00:01:29,090 --> 00:01:32,570 Speaker 1: accusing God of withholding from them, but that couldn't be 16 00:01:32,630 --> 00:01:36,230 Speaker 1: further from the truth, as God is a giver. not 17 00:01:36,270 --> 00:01:39,370 Speaker 1: a withholder. He is love, and out of His love 18 00:01:39,410 --> 00:01:46,130 Speaker 1: for us flows unlimited generosity beyond belief. Even those who 19 00:01:46,170 --> 00:01:50,370 Speaker 1: don't know Him and don't realize or recognize His generosity 20 00:01:50,930 --> 00:01:55,970 Speaker 1: in their lives, as Jesus said in Matthew 5.45, He 21 00:01:56,050 --> 00:01:59,070 Speaker 1: causes His Son to rise on the evil and the 22 00:01:59,110 --> 00:02:03,330 Speaker 1: good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 23 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: Because God doesn't announce to us every time He is 24 00:02:07,540 --> 00:02:10,780 Speaker 1: generous to us, many of us are prone to take 25 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:15,650 Speaker 1: His generosity for granted and miss just how generous He 26 00:02:15,770 --> 00:02:19,390 Speaker 1: is to us. Although the list could go on and 27 00:02:19,590 --> 00:02:23,510 Speaker 1: on and be endless, the following are eight ways God 28 00:02:23,590 --> 00:02:28,820 Speaker 1: is quietly generous to us. 1. God Gives Us Favor 29 00:02:28,940 --> 00:02:32,179 Speaker 1: and Honor We may not always feel it, but God 30 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:36,690 Speaker 1: gives us favor and honor. As Psalm 84 11 tells us, 31 00:02:37,310 --> 00:02:40,150 Speaker 1: For the Lord God is a sun and shield. The 32 00:02:40,210 --> 00:02:43,970 Speaker 1: Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he 33 00:02:44,030 --> 00:02:50,340 Speaker 1: withhold from those who walk is blameless. Number two, God 34 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,060 Speaker 1: gives so that there is no lack in our lives. 35 00:02:53,740 --> 00:02:56,980 Speaker 1: There isn't any lack with God as 2 Peter 1 36 00:02:56,980 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: 3 reminds us. God has given us all that we 37 00:03:00,500 --> 00:03:04,700 Speaker 1: need in this world and the life to come. We 38 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:07,660 Speaker 1: are not only set for this life on earth, but 39 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: also for eternity and everlasting life. Psalm 34 10 assures 40 00:03:13,690 --> 00:03:17,670 Speaker 1: us that even if the lions may grow weak and hungry, 41 00:03:18,210 --> 00:03:21,490 Speaker 1: but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. 42 00:03:21,510 --> 00:03:27,270 Speaker 1: Number three, God gives us His Holy Spirit without limits. 43 00:03:28,030 --> 00:03:31,140 Speaker 1: Because we're used to limits on almost everything in life, 44 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:35,550 Speaker 1: from sales to pay to more, We tend to believe 45 00:03:35,610 --> 00:03:40,140 Speaker 1: God is limited, but He's not, as Jesus describes in 46 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: John 3.34. We don't ever have to be at a 47 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: loss for God's Holy Spirit, at least not on His end, 48 00:03:45,940 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 1: because He generously gives Him to us. If we're running low, 49 00:03:48,700 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 1: it's because we've pulled away, not God. He has given 50 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:12,490 Speaker 1: us a sure guarantee. 2 Corinthians 5.5 explains how, Now 51 00:04:12,530 --> 00:04:15,850 Speaker 1: the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose 52 00:04:16,430 --> 00:04:20,229 Speaker 1: is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, 53 00:04:20,850 --> 00:04:27,279 Speaker 1: guaranteeing what is to come. 4. God gives us victory. 54 00:04:27,940 --> 00:04:31,580 Speaker 1: With God we are winners, not losers, even if it 55 00:04:31,620 --> 00:04:34,390 Speaker 1: might feel like we are losers. at various times in 56 00:04:34,450 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: our lives, or look like it to others. As 1 57 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:44,580 Speaker 1: Corinthians 15, 57 reminds us, But thanks be to God, 58 00:04:44,980 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: He gives us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. 5. 59 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:54,839 Speaker 1: God gives us strength. Even when we feel weak, we 60 00:04:54,900 --> 00:04:59,620 Speaker 1: are strong, because God gives us unlimited strength through Him. 61 00:05:00,550 --> 00:05:04,900 Speaker 1: As Philippians 4, 13 describes, I can do all this 62 00:05:05,060 --> 00:05:10,580 Speaker 1: through Him who gives me strength. Number six, God gives 63 00:05:10,779 --> 00:05:14,620 Speaker 1: us His Son. Down through the ages since Jesus' death 64 00:05:14,700 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: on the cross and resurrection, God has been giving Jesus 65 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:23,690 Speaker 1: to all who will come to Him. As Romans 8.32 describes, 66 00:05:24,380 --> 00:05:27,690 Speaker 1: He who did not spare His own Son but gave 67 00:05:27,730 --> 00:05:31,390 Speaker 1: Him up for us all, how will He not also, 68 00:05:31,950 --> 00:05:37,789 Speaker 1: along with Him, graciously give us all things. In Jesus, 69 00:05:38,310 --> 00:05:41,469 Speaker 1: God gives us more than we ever deserve. As 2 70 00:05:41,470 --> 00:05:46,350 Speaker 1: Corinthians 9 15 reminds us, thanks be to God for 71 00:05:46,410 --> 00:05:53,409 Speaker 1: his indescribable gift. Number seven, God gives us endurance and encouragement. 72 00:05:54,230 --> 00:05:57,030 Speaker 1: Sometimes we feel like we have to pull up our 73 00:05:57,070 --> 00:06:02,380 Speaker 1: bootstraps and endure through our own strength. But Romans 15 74 00:06:02,380 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 1: 5 explains how God wants to be the source of 75 00:06:06,900 --> 00:06:10,989 Speaker 1: both to us. May the God who gives endurance and 76 00:06:11,050 --> 00:06:15,430 Speaker 1: encouragement give you the same attitude of mine toward each 77 00:06:15,589 --> 00:06:21,850 Speaker 1: other that Christ Jesus had. 8. God gives us everything 78 00:06:21,890 --> 00:06:26,589 Speaker 1: we need to live a godly life. Sometimes we may 79 00:06:26,630 --> 00:06:30,370 Speaker 1: think it's too hard to follow Jesus to live a 80 00:06:30,529 --> 00:06:34,549 Speaker 1: godly life, but God gives us all that we need. 81 00:06:35,690 --> 00:06:40,719 Speaker 1: As 2 Peter 1.3 describes, His divine power has given 82 00:06:40,779 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 1: us everything we need for a godly life through our 83 00:06:44,620 --> 00:06:48,779 Speaker 1: knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory 84 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:54,730 Speaker 1: and goodness. Intersecting faith and life. Why not take time 85 00:06:54,790 --> 00:06:58,789 Speaker 1: in the coming weeks to consider and remind yourself of 86 00:06:58,850 --> 00:07:04,339 Speaker 1: God's generosity in your life each and every day. List 87 00:07:04,380 --> 00:07:08,020 Speaker 1: them on your phone to remind you or write down 88 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:11,820 Speaker 1: to stick on your refrigerator to serve as a reminder 89 00:07:12,220 --> 00:07:15,679 Speaker 1: to help you remember to be grateful and to thank 90 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 1: God for his quiet generosity. Further reading, a prayer to 91 00:07:21,980 --> 00:07:30,790 Speaker 1: stir up Thanksgiving gratefulness. If you're looking to grow in 92 00:07:30,810 --> 00:07:32,990 Speaker 1: prayer or start your day with your heart focused on 93 00:07:33,010 --> 00:07:34,850 Speaker 1: the right things, search for Your Daily Prayer in your 94 00:07:34,870 --> 00:07:37,750 Speaker 1: favorite podcast app and be sure to follow the show 95 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 1: so you get a new prayer delivered straight to you 96 00:08:02,620 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 1: each morning.