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Divine Imperatives September 22 Devotional

by David Joynt on September 22, 2023


MATTHEW 5:42 | 42 Give to the one who asks of you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

We are called in this verse to a wise and willing generosity, not to unlimited and unthoughtful benevolence. We are not asked to give “whatever we are asked, but to whomever asks.” Unjust or excessive asking should not be rewarded. We don’t give a knife to a murderer, or money for drugs to an addict. Our giving must be helpful and should aim first at aid and then transformation, rather than dependency. Willing generosity, of course, also transforms us!

 

Has generosity been transforming for you?

 

 

Gracious God,

Show me the joy of strategic giving that alleviates sorrow and suffering and builds Your kingdom. You are the giver, ultimately, of every good and perfect gift.

Amen.

 

About the Author
David Joynt

Dave Joynt began his service as a pastor at Valley Presbyterian Church in Paradise Valley, Arizona in September 2014. This meant a move away from the Northeast, where he has a long history, growing up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and then serving congregations in Delaware and New Jersey for a total of 23 years.

Dave was nurtured in a great church in Bethlehem where his parents, Anne and Carey, served as elders. He graduated in classics from Lehigh University where his Father taught, and then from Oxford, where he met his wife Julia. Ordained in 1988, he completed a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1993.

He and Julia have a son, Tristan, and a daughter, Madeleine.

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