Neville Turley
“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.” Luke 6:38 (NIV)
Our verse for today contains a command of just one word and the rest of the text is a promise guaranteed by God.
“Give” is a word that is used or implied in every financial appeal. It may evoke a generous response or be seen as an attempt to persuade donor weary people to part with their money.
It is vital when reading the Bible not to read into scripture, what is not there. Our Lord is not stipulating that one must give money. He is simply saying “give”. Every Christian has something he can share.
If God has blessed you with wealth and you want to share it ‑ that is awesome. However, there are many other ways to give to the glory of God.
A Cape Town newspaper recently wrote about an 83 year old pensioner. From the balcony of her 6th floor flat in the old age home, she noticed how homeless people struggled daily to wash themselves adequately. She thought of a way of easing their lot.
Collecting leftovers of bath soap from her fellow residents who would otherwise have discarded it, she uses her food processor to produce liquid soap. This she pours into recycled 500ml milk bottles, neatly labelling each bottle before personally distributing it to homeless people.
Her giving is not a once-off deed. She has been assisting homeless people in this way for well over a year and is now reaching out to disadvantaged children.
Our Lord asks us to give and that giving does not have to be limited to material giving. All around us there are those needing love, care, praise, encouragement, inspiration and hope. The list is endless.
But whatever we, with our human limitations, give, God’s promise is that he will give us more. What a generous Father we have.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, may the Holy Spirit inspire us to be kind and considerate and ever ready to ease the lot of others. This we ask in Jesus name. Amen