God Wants You to Give What You Get
By Rick Warren
“God, who supplies seed for the sower and bread to eat, will also supply you with all the seed you need and will make it grow and produce a rich harvest from your generosity. He will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times, so that many will thank God for your gifts which they receive from us. For this service you perform not only meets the needs of God’s people, but also produces an outpouring of gratitude to God” (2 Corinthians 9:10-12 TEV).
What God gives to me he wants to give through me.
God is looking for people that he can bless the world with. He looks around and asks, “Will you be a cup, or will you be a straw?” If you’re a cup, you just get filled up, and that’s it. But if you’ll say, “God, I’ll be a straw, and you can channel your blessing through me to other people,” then that’s the kind of person God wants to bless.
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 9:10-11, “God, who supplies seed for the sower and bread to eat, will also supply you with all the seed you need and will make it grow and produce a rich harvest from your generosity. He will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times” (TEV).
This promise is built on your willingness to share what he supplies to you. Are you willing to pass on God’s blessing to others?
You may say, “Wait a minute! I’m not rich enough to be generous.” Oh, yes you are! No matter how much you’ve got, you can be generous. There’s a story about a woman in the Bible who only had two pennies, yet she gave them away. It’s a myth that “I don’t have enough to give.” You can always give something. In fact, you have to give something, because God is testing you. Verse 12 says, “For this service you perform not only meets the needs of God’s people, but also produces an outpouring of gratitude to God.”
When you’re going through a tough time, and you say, “God, I don’t have much, but whatever I’ve got, I’m willing to share. I’ve only got a little food here, but I’m willing to invite somebody over for dinner. I’m willing to share whatever I’ve got.” God promises to do three things for you: First, you will grow spiritually. Second, he will use you to meet other people’s needs. And third, God is praised.
When you give whatever you have, God will open the door of blessing in your life like you cannot imagine.
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Talk It Over
- With whom can you share God’s blessing to you this week?
- If you don’t think you have much to give right now, what do you think God expects of you?
- How have you seen God bless you through your giving?
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit rickwarren.org
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This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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