His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3
I found this delightful prayer online about enjoyment and generosity which fits perfectly this theme we are exploring…The only edit I made was I changed “Cape Town” to “Queenstown” (our last major South Island destination), so it fits our travel path in NZ.
“Father, I want my hope to be in you, and you alone. For your worth is not tied to anything but your changeless, priceless, matchless glory. And as the God of unsurpassing glory you’ve also chosen to be the God of all-sufficient grace—stunningly generous in the way you relate to us in the gospel, and in everything else. What do we have that we have not received from your hand and heart? You’ve joyfully given us everything we need for life and for godliness, and whatever you give us, you give for our enjoyment.
In times of excess or scarcity, you want us to enjoy what you give us. Indeed, you commend, even command, our enjoyment. Whether it’s a banquet or a biscuit; whether it’s a symphony or the song of a chickadee; whether it’s a trip to Queenstown, or a drive across town for a cup of coffee, enjoyment is not only good, but godly.
Even as you command our enjoyment, you also command our generosity. But the two really aren’t two different things, are they? How can we fully enjoy anything without freely sharing it? The more I understand the gospel the more I believe this, Father. The greatest joy is not found in fearful hoarding, but in cheerful giving—first and foremost in your giving of Jesus to us and for us. Your utter delight is seen most clearly in the generosity of the gospel.
Father, no matter what this crazy economy continues to do, may the measure of our enjoyment be demonstrated in the gladness of our generosity. So very Amen, we pray in Jesus’ benevolent and bountiful name.”
To read Scotty’s 3 August 2010 blog post in it’s entirety, visit “A Prayer about Enjoyment and Generosity” on the Gospel Coalition website. Friend me (Gary Hoag) on Facebook if you want to follow us more closely on our travels and see some pictures as our adventure continues.