Cast Your Bread on the Surface of the Waters

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Cast Your Bread on the Surface of the Waters

We love instant  rewards.     Businesses know that,  so they advertise  the  instant  rewards they are willing to give us  for our every purchase.     They make the offers because they want  the instant reward  of our business.     In school,  they give instant rewards  for good behavior  and good daily work.     They do that because it often results in better behavior and efforts  to learn.

The hope of instant rewards  carries on throughout our lives.     If we do something nice,  we like the reward  of a “thank you”.     If we work hard in a charity,  we like the  reward approval  from fellow workers  and the recipient.     Some people  will do all sorts  of good things  just because they long  for the reward  of approval  from others.

But,  God wants us to be different.     In Ecclesiastes 11:1,  it says,

Cast your bread  on the surface  of the waters,  for you will find it  after many days.

Common sense tells  us  that when we throw bread  on the waters,  it will be eaten by fish — or become spoiled  and unfit to eat.     So,  how can this be good advice?     God is trying to teach us  a new attitude  of freely giving of ourselves,  without expecting an instant reward.     We all like  to eat delicious bread — especially hot out of the oven.     We don’t want  to waste  it  or  throw it away.

But, this bread — this very good thing,  which  refers to what we give  to others — is to be very willingly thrown out  upon the waters  ( given where ever needed ), without  looking for any sort of profit  or immediate  reward — without looking for approval  from others.    We are to be freely helping others,  sharing,  comforting,  caring — not because we expect anything back in return,  but because God has so loved us  in Jesus Christ.     When we give  to God,  as we kindly  and sincerely help others,  we are not looking  for rewards  or pats on the back.     In God’s way of being,  we are to be loving towards everyone — not just those who are able  to give us something  back.

When God sees us living  with the same attitude  with which He gladly gave of Himself  for us,  He will see to it  that we will have a return  at some time  or another,  according to His good will and wisdom.     God looks at us  according to what is in our hearts and faith.

Leaning on God  for all our needs  and casting all our cares before Him,  we say,  “Hallelujah!     Lord,  thank You for graciously caring  for all our needs  and for loving us  in Jesus Christ.”

Love,
Margaret

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A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods

 

Pray for our country.

 

This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

 

The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield  to all  who take refuge  in Him.
Psalm 18:30

 

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming  to the upright.
Psalm 33:1

 

How blessed are those  who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.
Psalm 84:4

 

Just as a father has compassion  on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13

 

Oh give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 107:1

 

Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Psalm 105:3

 

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12

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