August 16, 2023
There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered. (Proverbs 11:24-25)
If God had just mentioned this once it would be enough. But, He calls our attention to this spiritual habit of generosity repeatedly. And He gives the same, almost unnatural promises over and over again. It is an unalterable truth. The truly generous in this world have seen it and proved God’s faithfulness to this promise.
GOD SEES
Generosity is always noticed by God. He prospers generous people. Period. This is not prosperity in a merely outlandish way for selfish purposes. But real prosperity in God's way. A person of great wealth or a man of humble means can both become the vehicles that God uses in giving. It is not about the amount of our giving, but where we place possessions in our hearts, the spirit in which we give, and the willingness to joyfully cooperate with God instantly and continually.
And there is a reason. I once heard Jack Taylor preach a message on this truth, and he said, “God owns all the money in the world, and He wants it in circulation to bless you, bless others, and honor Him.”
He longs for us to loosen our grip on things and become a channel, not a reservoir. If we will, He delights in pouring more and more through us to help others. A truly generous man is one whom God can trust with His resources.
IN HIS IMAGE
Generosity is foundational to God’s nature. And we were made in His image to reflect Him. Our fall away from Him brought greed and selfishness into this world as we feverishly look to the things of this world to satisfy us in ways that only God can. God wants us to turn and worship Him alone, and when we have our gaze fixed on Him in all His sufficiency, the “things of earth will grow strangely dim.” We put this world’s possessions in their proper place as a tool to provide for our needs, bless others, and advance God’s kingdom.
Everything you have came from Him. Everything. The generous man knows this and sees himself merely as a steward charged to faithfully do what God desires with God’s resources. It’s his great joy to do so and the Father’s great pleasure to bless a generous man.
Are you generous with what God has given you? Willing to give—readily, sacrificially, joyfully—at the slightest promptings of His Spirit? Do you always give the first fruits (the first 10% of all you receive) without question? (That’s the starting point, but there is so much more.) And do you love to give offerings and bless others? Do you see it as a joy, not a duty? Do you delight in the opportunity for a spontaneous moment of blessing others and showing them the Father's generous nature?
Ask God to bring across your path someone you can give to today. Don’t hesitate when He prompts you. Join the great adventure and watch the blessings that come and the flow of God’s generosity through you to a needy world.
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