December 6, 2022
One of God’s attributes I don’t often hear taught on is his generosity. We teach about God’s sovereignty and holiness, his infinite power, his omniscience, wisdom, and love. Of course, because he is loving he is generous. But I have not heard many who have focused on God’s lavish generosity.
Of course, I have taught and believe that we should be generous because our God is generous and will abundantly reward us when we are. But I have not heard many teachings about expecting God to be generous to us when we come to him with our needs and requests.
Our God is a lavish, overflowing, generous, bountiful, magnanimous God who loves to give good gifts to his children. He even blesses those who hate him with thousands of good things. How much more will he bless those he bought with his Son’s precious blood.
When we look at his creation, we can catch a glimpse of God’s overflowing, lavish nature.
He created billions of galaxies and stars. The sun, the moon, the planets … God didn’t create just one simple kind of star. He is over-the-top creative … generous. The heavens declare the glory of God, including his abundant, bountiful nature.
Look at the earth. There are more than 750 species of butterflies and 11,000 species of moths that have been recorded, and many, many more out there yet to be recorded. There are somewhere over 22,000 species of fish. There are over 150 species of roses. …
And of course, the greatest, most generous gift our God has given us is the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ, who in the greatest act of generosity ever, poured out his blood to save us, and give us the infinitely wonderful gift of eternal life.—Mark Altrogge1
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Throughout the Bible we read about God’s generous and gracious giving.
He gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.2 I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.3
As our Father He gives us good things,4 good and perfect gifts,5 our heart’s desire6 and what we ask for when these align with His will,7 His peace,8 wisdom,9 and grace.10
Motivated by His love for humanity, God gave His Son, Jesus, for our salvation,11 and He gave Himself to redeem us.12 We’re given the water of life,13 the free gift of God.14 He has lavished upon us forgiveness, redemption, and grace.15 He has also poured His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us16 as a guarantee.17 We’ve also been given the gifts of the Spirit, which are distributed according to His will.18
Understanding God’s generous nature as the owner of all things guides us in our attitude toward giving. As the children of such a generous Father, we should want to follow His example.—Peter Amsterdam
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God’s generosity is evidenced all around us. God created this planet that is especially suited to sustain us and provide for our needs and pleasures. He supplies us with color, light, sound, air, and the ability to taste and enjoy, hear and appreciate, touch and be satisfied. Above all, God demonstrated His generosity when He offered His Son as a sacrifice to atone for our sin. In the face of such generosity, we can only say, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”19 The gift of Jesus to sinful mankind was the ultimate act of generosity.
As we have been forgiven, we are to forgive.20 And as we see God being generous, we are to be generous. Generosity can be manifested in many ways. We can give of our time, our material resources, our hospitality, and our friendship. … God’s Word is clear that the generous are remembered and rewarded, whether in this life or the next.
God challenges us to be generous because He wants us to receive the blessing that comes from it. Jesus said, “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.”21 This promise is a reflection of the truth of 2 Chronicles 16:9 that “the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”… God is seeking people who will reflect His character and model His generosity. He delights to bless them and show Himself strong on their behalf.—From GotQuestions.org22
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The Lord is a wise investor. He gives to those who are thankful for the blessings He’s already given them. We can show Him our appreciation by thanking and praising Him regularly—by not taking His generosity for granted. No benefactor would continue giving to someone who isn’t grateful for what he or she has already been given.
The more you learn to recognize God’s goodness and the more you make it a habit to thank and praise Him at every turn, the more He will bless. So tell Him how much you love Him and how thankful you are for all He does for you. As you praise and love Him, He loves you in return and pours His blessings on you.—Maria Fontaine
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Generous God,
You are a God of both intricate detail and overflowing abundance. When I entrust the details of my life to You, I’m often surprised by how thoroughly You answer my petitions. The biblical instruction to pray continually helps me feel free to bring You all my requests. And I found that the more I pray—with a hopeful, watchful attitude—the more answers I receive. Best of all, my faith is strengthened as I see how precisely You respond to my specific prayers.
I rejoice that You are infinite in all Your ways! Because abundance is at the very heart of who You are, I don’t need to fear that You will run out of resources. I can come to You in joyful expectation of receiving all that I need—and sometimes much more!
I am so grateful for the bountiful blessings You shower on me! Even the hardships in my life can be viewed as Your blessings—they train me in perseverance, transforming me and preparing me for heaven. So I come to You with open hands and heart, ready to receive all that You have for me.
In Your great Name, Jesus. Amen.—Sarah Young23
Published on Anchor December 2022. Read by Gabriel Garcia Valdivieso.
Music by Michael Dooley.
1 https://theblazingcenter.com/2019/04/our-god-is-incredibly-generous-20-powerful-faith-building-scriptures.html.
2 Acts 17:25.
3 Genesis 1:29.
4 Matthew 7:11.
5 James 1:17.
6 Psalm 37:4.
7 Matthew 7:7.
8 John 14:27.
9 James 1:5.
10 Ephesians 4:7.
11 John 3:16.
12 Titus 2:14.
13 John 4:14.
14 Romans 6:23.
15 Ephesians 1:7–8.
16 Romans 5:5.
17 2 Corinthians 1:22.
18 Hebrews 2:4; 1 Corinthians 12.
19 2 Corinthians 9:15.
20 Ephesians 4:32.
21 Luke 6:38.
23 Sarah Young, Jesus Listens (Thomas Nelson, 2021).
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