JUNE 22 "A GOOD RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT"

     I can't tell you how many times this principle has been applied in my life & circumstances. The good that I did for others, as God moved upon my heart, has ALWAYS come back to do me better good than I did in helping others.  All this woman has done is use the wealth God has given her to build a room for Elisha to stay in and has taken the time to feed him when passing through town. And we do give credit where credit is do, she could have easily made excuses for not doing so, but she didn't. However, look what she gets in return! Never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine, that by simply doing good to this obvious servant and man of God, that she would reap a son in return.  And not only does she reap a son, but when her son dies years later, that same man, Elisha, restores her son to life. That same man, Elisha, years later, is the cause of this woman having her property restored to her. The dividends, the retribution that is recompensed this woman far exceeds what she did for Elisha. And how often in life, do we find that by our simple obedience to respond to God in helping others does the retribution come back 10 fold what we put out.  We often say that doing good doesn't pay, and that's A LIE.  Perhaps it is the good that you are doing that is the problem. The Pharisees did plenty "of good" but I guarantee there was never any retribution paid by to them for their good. There are two kinds of good. A good that we do for ourselves (those reasons my vary and for sake of time we won't get into that) and a good we do as God prompts us...and that good, the latter good, will always pay back dividends, you can be sure. If you are lacking this experience in your walk with God than you should ask yourself, "am I doing any good; and if so...who and by what pretense am I doing good, for myself or for God".  Is the good I do "what I think is good and beneficial" or is the good I'm doing what God wants?" You may ask, "how do I know what God wants, how do I know the good that God wants me to do?"  And that only comes as naturally as breathing comes to you. As you abide in Christ and He abides in you, the natural outcome is Godly instinct and promptings and then it is up to you not to excuse them away. Do not grieve the work of the Holy Spirit in you. If God puts someone upon your heart, if God puts a certain persons needs upon your heart, than at once, put aside your feeble ideas and attempts of goodness and respond to God's and you will see the dividends of obedience. However, if you only respond to reap the dividends than you have ruined any reward you may have received. Simply respond because God asks of you, and let the rest be..., whether you reap or not should be inconsequential in your decision. The right response is..."Lord you need, and I have, therefore I give". That is the right heart and that is what Jesus meant when he said, "unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees, you shall not see the Kingdom of God".  Not only doing good for good or for "goodness sake" (as some might say) but doing good for the right reasons and those reasons should always end and begin, with God's promptings, not ours.