Giving and Receiving

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38

Many of us want to give to people we love and causes we believe in. But fear stops us. We’re afraid that if we give, we might not have enough left for ourselves. So instead of sowing, we hoard our seed and miss the harvest God promised us. Why? Because on some deeper level we wonder if God would actually bless someone like us. Jesus said, ‘Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over.’ If a bank promised that kind of return on your investment you’d beat a path to their door, right? But banks can fail and bankers can’t always be trusted, whereas God has never broken a promise! Here’s an important Bible truth: when you open your hand to God, He opens His hand to you. And God has a bigger hand! But as well as learning how to give, you must learn how to receive. Jesus said, ‘Good measure… will be poured into your lap’. When God gives back to you, He often does it through people. All kinds of people! So don’t let pride or prejudice stop you from receiving from others, because God wants to give them a harvest on the seeds they sow into your life. Don’t circumvent the harvest – yours or theirs. Never hesitate to give to a true servant of God. ‘Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper’ (2 Chronicles 20:20). When God moves you to sow a seed, it’s because He has a harvest for you to reap. Don’t miss it!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me not only to be a “giver” but one who is also humbled to “receive”. In Jesus’ Name, Amen