By:Hayoung

Read: Numbers 36:1-Deuteronomy 1:46, Luke 5:29-6:11, Psalm 66:1-20, Proverbs 11:24-26

One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
People curse the one who hoards grain, but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.
(Proverbs 11:24-26)

Relate: After reading Proverbs 11:24-26, I felt like the verse was focusing on generosity. In the beginning how at first you might feel like you’re losing something, but in the end, you gain more than you expected. However, if you hold too tight to what you have, then you may end up losing it. Secondly, it states that when you refresh others by being generous, you will also be refreshed. People respect those who share what they have, and in turn, they will be blessed.

A situation that was related to this verse was when I donated some devices to my ministry group of students. Even though it wasn’t the best device, I tried to share it to help them study. A few months later, I received a new device. After this, I felt like I was being rewarded for the things I had been generous with. Even though I gave something little, much was given back to me in return. It doesn’t mean that you always receive something when you share or donate. But generosity brings about a lot of blessings not only to the giver but also to those around the giver.

React: The verse from Proverbs shows that being generous leads to blessings, while being greedy may lead you to emptiness. Like the situation I shared, after sharing what I had with others, it can come back to us in ways we do not expect. This can show that generosity may make some saving for our happiness and blessings in our lives. When we are generous with what we have, then we are not just going to be a blessing to other people, but we are also going to be open to receiving more of it back. This should encourage us to become more generous and less selfish in keeping things for ourselves, trusting that in refreshing others, we also shall be refreshed.

Respond:

Dear God,
As we live please help us to be generous and be more open to sharing with others in need. Like how you have blessed us with generosity, let us trust that when we give, we are never lacking, but are always provided for. Let our actions reflect your love and bring refreshment to those around us.
Amen