Jesus Christ -- love made flesh -- lead me to a life of giving, as the top level of my living. In Your Name I ask it. Amen.

"Giving Is Living" November 16, 2012 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. Proverbs 25:21 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words. In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours, Kenneth R. Klaus Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour A woman once told me the wonderful story of love and patience she had for her sisters and brothers. Giving herself for the benefit of her siblings was her top level of living. She was the oldest child in a family with seven children. Their mother died when she was 17. She was attending high school but, since her father was gone a lot with his work, she became more of a mother to her siblings. She gave much of herself to them, taking responsibility in upkeep for the home, supervising their schoolwork, caring for them during sickness, and looked after their daily needs. In brief, she took care of them as if she were the mother. That impacted her own grades in school, and she had to turn down her education. She even declined all offers of marriage. One after another, her brothers and sisters finished school. They got married. Finally, when everyone was on their own, and it was time for her to think of herself, she was past the age of 40. She remained unmarried. But did she regret what she had done for her brothers and sisters? Not at all! She knew that giving is the top level of living. She sacrificed herself for her own relatives but, I wonder, would she have done the same for her enemies? Probably not. But there is someone who has made such a sacrifice for His enemies. Who? Jesus Christ! We are His enemies by committing sins. For us, He came down from heaven to look for us and after us. He took our place on the cross and shed His blood for our forgiveness. Because of His sacrifice, the Lord is ready to receive all who believe, into His Kingdom. Forgiveness and salvation are ours because -- for Jesus -- giving has always been the very top of living.