God Gives, Too

Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.

Luke 6:38

A YOUNG CHRISTIAN walked into church one morning, intending to give five dollars of the fifty dollars he’d been paid the night before for some work he’d done. As he opened his wallet, though, it seemed the Spirit spoke to his heart and told him to give the full fifty dollars.

A little astonished, he prayed about it, and the Spirit seemed only to confirm the directive. A humble man, he finally wrapped the fifty dollars in a one-dollar bill and dropped the packet into the offering plate. He felt a little miffed after church, but he told himself God had good reason for the addition.

On the way home from church, his father, who was one of the counters, said, “It was really remarkable. We didn’t think we’d make the budget. But then we found fifty dollars wrapped in a one-dollar bill. It put us over the top.”

The young man said nothing, thinking to himself that God had done something remarkable. The next day he was offered an extra job that would net him $150.

God simply will not be outgiven, and his promise is to reward those who give liberally and sacrificially.