Thanks for Giving

November in Nicaragua is delivering up some amazing sunsets! 

"Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor." ~Esther 9:20-22 

I found these verses today and it just struck me that I have read them before but never NOTICED the details. It's the most amazing thing how you can read the same verses over and over in the Bible and God can show you new truths over the years that you might not have noticed before. It's just so cool!!

Here were the Jews under the reign of a foreign King. They were set to be exterminated and God delivered them by His mighty hand through a young Jewish woman, Esther. It was time to celebrate!! They would enjoy days of feasting and giving gifts of food to one another. But it didn't stop there! They also celebrated by giving gifts to the poor! 

This year in my Bible reading I have been struck over and over by the fact that God NEVER forgets the poor, the oppressed, those struggling and hurting and mourning, the orphan, the widow... But I can forget. But if I am His, I must represent Him and NEVER forget those that He remembers! 

It would be easy to go back to the United States and say, "Wow, seeing those who are really poor has made me appreciate all that I have been given." But I would miss the whole point of what God has shown me here. God did not bless me to enjoy blessings. He blessed me and gave to me that I might give it away. I am a funnel not a gathering basket. 

Life is short, eternity is long. My life goal needs to be giving up temporary riches for eternal riches. A small investment for a great return!

So, today, I can be thankful at Thanksgiving for all that I have...OR...I can be thankful and say, "God thank you for giving to me so that I could say 'thanks' by 'giving.'"