Generous God
I am sure that your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life.
And I will live in the house of the Lord
forever. ~ Psalm 23:6 (NIRV)
God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else? ~ Romans 8:32 (CEV)
God you are generous. I'm stingy -- but you are following me around to fill me with your love and goodness. So, there is hope for me. And that hope is you. You sacrificed your own Son for us. Raise me up so that I become like you in as many ways as possible -- and so that I live forever in your presence. Start today, please. Reveal opportunities for generosity. Help me to be less concerned about having enough time, money, energy, or honor. Amen.
Challenging Word
- stingy -- not generous, one who does not give very often or very willingly, someone who finds it difficult to be generous
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own freestyle biblical adaptation — somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
NRSVue = New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (© 2021 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.) NTE = New Testament for Everyone (©2011 Nicolas Thomas Wright.)
REB = Revised English Bible (© 1989 Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press) TCEB = The Casual English Bible (© Stephen M. Miller)