Unstoppable! 'Generosity and Wisdom' — Acts 11:29-30

Friday, July 4, 2025

[Because of the prophesied famine,] the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could. This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem.

— Acts 11:29-30 NLT

Key Thought

Generosity is a "Spirit-natural" response for followers of Jesus. We love and give and share and forgive because God first loved and gave and shared and forgave us in Jesus. When Agabus came from Jerusalem and prophesied about a famine in the entire Roman world (Acts 11:27-28), the brothers and sisters in Antioch chose to send famine relief to their persecuted brothers and sisters in Jerusalem and Judea. However, and we should pay attention to this "however," notice that they didn't just send money; they also sent trusted and wise leaders to deliver their gifts to the elders in Jerusalem to ensure their donated funds would be used wisely. Compassion, with wisdom, must be an integral part of any fellowship involving the use of funds given by Jesus' disciples.

Today's Prayer

Father, thank you for loving me and for adopting me into your family. Open my heart to bless others in my family of grace as you have blessed me. Give me the wisdom to know whom to trust with my gifts of compassion, and give me a generous heart to graciously help my brothers and sisters in need during their challenging times. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

5 Related Resources by Heartlight

Foretold by the Spirit
Devo: God's Holy Fire
"Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great..."
Remembering and Praying
Article by Mike Cope
We must do more than simply remember what was there! Thinking through the whole hurricane mess and looking forward to helping and praying.
Caring for the Family of Believers
Devo: A Year with Jesus
"Dear Child of the Father, You live in an interconnected world more than any other human beings in the history of planet earth. You can travel quickly..."
Moving Out
Devo: A Year with Jesus
"Dear Faithful Follower, One of the marks of Our — Father, Son, and Spirit's — people has been their acceptance of "moving out," that is,...."
See All 5 Related Resources about Acts 11:29-30

Illustration

Illustration of Acts 11:29-30 NLT — [Because of the prophesied famine,] the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could. This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem.

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Friday, July 4, 2025

Today's Verse
A daily devotional featuring a Bible verse, thought and prayer.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
"Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Passion for Praise
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
'Your Great Power' (Re. 11:17)
""We give thanks to you, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who always was, for now you have assumed your great power and have begun to reign.""
God's Holy Fire
A daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
'Dancing with the Spirit' (Co. 1:28-29)
"[Jesus] is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I..."
Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Morning Thought: Lamentations 3:24
"It is not "The Lord is partly my portion," nor "The Lord is in my portion"; but he himself makes up the sum total of my soul's inheritance. Within the..."

About This Devotional

Unstoppable! is a one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage, a reflection and a prayer. The reflection opens up the day's scripture and shows how it challenges one to live for Jesus.

Unstoppable! is written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

More Unstoppable!