"Give, and it will be given to you." Luke 6:38
In his short story “No Comeback” Frederick Forsyth tells about a self-willed rich man who, like King David in the Bible, wanted a husband removed so that he could marry the widow. The hired hit man promised that there would be no comeback. No one had seen him do it, he said, except the man’s wife. So he killed her, too.
People sometimes become victims of their own designs, as Job declares in the Bible, God “catches the wise in their craftiness” (Job 5:13). There is a saying: He who digs a ditch for someone else will himself fall into it. How often doesn’t this happen in life! Those who hate others will themselves become the objects of hate. Evil has a way of returning. During World War I an army released poisonous mustard gas, only to have the wind shift and blow the gas on the sender. Whatever we release against others – slander, gossip, lies, hateful words, harmful deeds – it often comes back with a vengeance.
How different when thoughts of love and kindness are put into words and translated into deeds! They, too, come back but to bless the giver. The writer of Ecclesiastes writes, "Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again" (Ecclesiastes 11:1). Many times it comes back to us not only as plain bread, but with butter on it, even marmalade.
In His grace God causes comebacks or rewards to crown our lives dedicated to serving Him and our neighbor. These return gifts are not merited. In love God sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from ourselves – from our selfishness and all other sins. In the same way he sends many other blessings to enrich our lives in this world. They are rewards of grace.
PRAYER: Thank You, Lord God, for all the good things You have poured into my life. Help me to share them with those in need. Amen.
(Devotions from "With Jesus Every Day" copyright 1997, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time emailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)
Today's Bible Readings: Job 11-13 Matthew 9:18-38
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