The Bite of Bread this week has been about discovering what God wants.
We’ve read verses like Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy (chesed) and to walk humbly with your God.”
And
Hosea 6:6, “For I desire mercy (chesed– loving kindness, mercy, and relationship) not sacrifice, and knowing me (God) rather than burnt offering.” (Addition/changes mine according to the Hebrew words under our translation.)
We read the wonderful promise in Malachi 3:10: “Bring in the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”
These are such wonderful verses. They are God’s heart for us. His heart beats for His children to be kind and forgiving, merciful and generous.
. . . Just like He is. Look what pleases Him.
Can’t you hear Jesus’s tone? It’s gentle and kind. “Don’t be afraid little flock . . . your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.”
Pleased . . .
The Greek word holds these meanings, “to think something good, to take pleasure, delight, prefer, choose, resolve, stressing the willingness and the freedom of an intention regarding what is good.” (Key Word Bible)
[bctt tweet=”Your Father-God takes pleasure and delight in giving you the kingdom. ” username=”wordsbyandylee”]
He chooses and has resolved to give you the kingdom and finds it good to do so.
Don’t be afraid little flock. He loves you.
And then Jesus says, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
My friends, I believe we have the kingdom of God inside of us by the Holy Spirit. Kingdom thinking is very different from the way most people of this world think. It’s living with a great security that no matter what, if we lose everything today, we are rich in God. And kingdom people live with generous hearts knowing they have much to give. I’m not just talking about money. We have so much to give.
Mercy, kindness, peace, good news of Jesus, love, and forgiveness.
He’s pleased to give us the kingdom.
Let’s delight in sharing it.
Come pray with me. Grab my hand.
“Father, thank you. We love your heart. Thank you for the kingdom. Help us walk as kingdom people, and I pray you give each set of eyes reading this post a vision of herself in the spirit as you see her dressed as a princess in the kingdom. You tell us we are heirs. May we be generous with what we’ve been given forevermore. In Jesus’s name. Amen.”
What does it mean to you to know that God is pleased to give you the kingdom?
See you Monday with a new reading plan and the winner of the giveaway on prayer!
Living by Grace,
andy
