We often see giving as loss.  There are no two ways about it.  When we end up with less than we had in the beginning, 2+2 just doesn’t equal 4.  It becomes more like 2+2 equals 1.  That neither feels good to us nor makes us joyful about our giving.  But what would be the difference in our emotional and spiritual experience if in our giving 2+2 equaled 6, 8, and 12 or more.

         We’re often challenged to believe God’s word on a level of trust that frequently lands far outside our frame of reference.  Were we to truly trust that we would receive in return more than we gave, we would be generous — not to a fault — but to an overwhelming blessing.  We might even be tempted to trust the words of the prophet Malachi, taking up God’s challenge to

       10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be

       food in my house.  Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty,

       “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and

        pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough

        to store it. (Malachi 8:10)

But to trust God in that way would say that we truly trusted God to deliver on what God promised.  And we’re not often invited to test God on anything else but matters of faith — which is exactly what our generosity represents — a matter of faith.

         On the other hand, if we are to truly trust in God, then God’s promise is that God will ‘out-give’ us every single time.  God will convert our hollow offering into something that is dense and packed, returning much more than we need or can hold.  Does that sound like a God who would allow those who trust in Him to run out of God’s blessings to them?  No!  It only highlights the truth that we can’t beat God’s giving, no matter how we try.

• If you’ve trusted God in your generosity, what has been your experience as an outcome of that trust?
• If you’ve not trusted God with your generosity, what do you believe you’ve missed as a result of your lack of trust?
• What needs to happen to move you to the place where you fully trust God in your generosity?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, teach me to trust in Your promise to deliver on your promises to oversupply any and everything I give to honor You. Help me to realize the gift of giving as a supreme blessing of Your grace.

         Many people consider giving to be a burden and a chore.  Often the statement is made, “I don’t have it to give!”  That may well be a viable argument for some people, especially in today’s climate of high prices and over the moon inflation.  However, according to God’s word, our contribution is not valued or acceptable based on what we don’t have, but by what we do have and are willing to give.  And there’s much to be said about a person’s willingness to give.  Giving that is done in a spirit of resentment and done begrudgingly is seldom done with willingness or joy.  And over-giving — giving done without consideration for what a person is truly able to give — is often done with givers remorse, leading to the type of giving that creates resentment of the gift by the giver.

         Everyone has something to share.  And God’s design for generosity is created so that those who have been truly blessed may share out of their abundance so that everyone who has a need may be cared for.  Likewise, those who have less are not overburdened by being forced to give beyond their means.  You can’t get blood from a turnip, nor is God honored by those who place a hardship on themselves by giving beyond their ability to give.  For God, it’s all about a system of equity and fairness.  In that way, everyone can rejoice and give thanks to God.  It’s impossible to beat a God who hands out justice with the gift of giving.

• Have you ever suffered spiritually because you weren’t able to give as much as you would have liked to give?
• Have you ever rejoiced because you were able to give out of your abundance?
• What do you believe is the spiritual and emotional difference between the two?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Generous God, help me to see my life and all of my blessings as an opportunity to give You a gift that truly represents the blessings I’ve received from You.

         Most of what we receive from God we take for granted.  Blessings come daily — big and small — some even unnoticeable at the time.  And in the busyness of our lives, we simply miss or ignore them until we find them slowly disappearing from our lives.  Our health, the blessings of family, food on our tables, clothes on our backs — these things, even though we pray for them and about them, sometimes become just a part of the day.

         And yet, God is in the business of satisfying our needs.  Our challenge is in our difficulty distinguishing our needs from our wants.  We suffer from the lust of our eyes, stomachs, mind, and heart seeking those things we believe will make our lives more fulfilled and fulfilling.  And I’m sure that the list of things we want is long.  But God supplies us on a level beyond what we can see, feel, taste, smell, or hear.  God touches our lives with Spiritual food, eternal shelter, and surrounds us with the promises of Christ for our protection.  It is truly God that satisfies all of our needs, and they come from God’s abundant throne of grace in Jesus Christ.  The needs that God supplies allows us to be “content with what we have” as opposed to always wanting more than we need.  You just can’t beat that kind of giving.

• Can you name something that you really wanted, that after acquiring it, you still weren’t satisfied?
• How did God work in that situation to provide what you really needed, and what was it that God supplied?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, empower me to come to that place where I can fully trust that you will satisfy all of my needs and that I can live contented with all You supply through Jesus Christ.