Give...Forgive...Receive

~~~ Daniel 9:4b-10 ~~~ Psalm 79 ~~~ Luke 6:36-38 ~~~

Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, 
shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.

Generosity...
The truth is that when we are giving to others
we are not thinking about ourselves.
Giving to others requires that you
focus on the other, even if just for a short time.

It is easy to give if we are not trying to judge at the same time.
Is it possible to give without judging?
Do we automatically judge before we make the decision to give?
These are tough personal questions.
Some give for their own greater glory...
wanting to be held in higher esteem for their giving.
This is not the manner in which Jesus speaks of giving.

Jesus gave of himself every day.
The genuine gift of giving should be without
 expectations of personal returns.
Jesus is saying that what we receive
will be based on what we give.

It is worth noting that in this passage forgiveness is closely linked to giving.
This is interesting since the more you are willing to forgive
 the greater gift you are really giving yourself.

While this is not a post on forgiveness
we see it here paired in the same breath with giving.

It is good for us to consider, during this time of Lent,
 just how generous God has been to us.

His generosity has preceded our generosity in all instances.
His advice today is about how he expects us to be generous to others.

What he gives us is so incredible that it is overflowing,
spilling onto our laps...running down to the floor.

How can we be blind to the benefits of giving?

Scrooge had to have a near death experience before his heart was opened.
What will it take for us to realize the gift in giving?

The best way we can thank God for his generosity with us
 is to do likewise for others.

Be more generous from this day forward
 and experience this overflowing of grace from God.

Forgiven and Blessed.
Pass it on!
Peace.