The year was sometime in the early 1980s A family struggling to just get through another week let alone buy Christmas gifts for their children. Christmas was sure to be a letdown for the kids this year. And they would be greatly disappointed. Their parents had just $25 to spend that Christmas. Even in that year, it would not buy much. Fortunately, the 2 youngest boys were small enough to not know. But the two older would.
One evening a strange car pulled up into the drive. And two people got out and came to the door. It was the Salvation Army bringing food and gifts! And then after they left, another car, and two more people came with food and gifts!
They were to find out that a someone at a local church had given this family's names to the church and Salvation Army as needing help that Christmas. Who had done this? They would not tell. The person was and still is anonymous.
All they knew, was that God had laid it on someone's heart to help this family at a critical time that year.
I know this because that family was mine. Years later I would never forget the help we got that year. And I have made it a privilege to help people myself, that do not have the blessings that I have had.
But the help we received that Christmas, and the help I have given others over the years is nothing. God considers these things as filthy rags in comparison with what Jesus did for us on the cross. The things of this earth will one day fade from our memories and become nothing. But Jesus will never fade away. What He did for us will go on forever. For he paid our debt of sin that he did not owe nor could we pay it ourselves.
Does that give us an excuse then to not do for others?
Absolutely not. God wants us to give to the poor. Hebrews 13:16.
However, in these times, there are many frauds out in the world that would love to take what they can from us. So, it is good to always make sure we give to those that God would have us bless.
In closing, with the holidays upon us we should pray and ask God to show us who to give to and make sure that we do it. Because there are a lot of hurting people out there that we can help. Even if it's just a little. God will bless what we give, great or small. And even a little can go a long way when God uses it.
Thanks for coming by today, friends. May God bless you as winter comes upon us.
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