|
Giving is NOT about God, it's about US!
By Janine Scott-Lowe, MD
Luke 6:38: 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.
Ok, I think it's time for me to write this message. It has been in my mind for a few weeks now, but I received the confirmation recently while examining a patient. I'll let you use your imagination as to what exam I was doing, but, needless to say, when I peered over and looked on the patient's leg, I noticed the writing of this tattoo. It read, "When God takes something from your grasp, He is NOT punishing you, but merely OPENING YOUR HAND TO RECEIVE SOMETHING BETTER."
Again, this is CONFIRMATION for this particular word, and sparked me to finally write it. I guess if God can use a DONKEY to speak to Balaam, He can use a patient's tattoo to speak to me!
I just want to ENCOURAGE YOU in the area of giving. Lately, I have been picturing an OPEN HAND in my mind. As I've thought about it, I've come to realize that it symbolized GIVING, but NOT just in the way that I thought. This giving was NOT about GOD, but about THE GIVER (us). I realized that when God asks us to give, it is not about us just giving to bless others, rather, He is OPENING OUR HANDS so that we can RECEIVE as well.
That's where today's Scripture comes in. As we give, the Word ASSURES us that it WILL come back to us. Not necessarily at that moment in time, or in the exact same way, but somehow, some way, it WILL come. It is NOT just a cliche'...truly, we CANNOT OUTGIVE GOD. Our giving creates a CYCLE OF BLESSING...WE BLESS OTHERS, AND GOD BLESSES US. I have seen this happen MANY times in my life. Many times, I have given as God had directed me, not knowing that sometime later, a blessing was awaiting me (I didn't know, but God did!) It's like our giving is a SEED. As we give and plant that seed into fertile ground, eventually, the harvest WILL come.
So, I hope you are as EXCITED as I am. God NEVER FORGETS our giving, whether big or small. Just think about the MANY seeds that you have ALREADY planted with your giving, and PRAISE GOD IN ADVANCE for the HARVEST which will SURELY COME!
And, if you haven't really been giving as the Lord directs, you're NOT left out of this...it's SIMPLE. JUST START NOW. Be OBEDIENT, GIVE, and BE BLESSED!
Love you!
Janine
|
