What Jesus Did! 'The Principle of Generosity' — Luke 6:38

Thursday, April 13, 2023

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[Jesus continued,] "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 NLT

Key Thought

Two areas where many of us can be the stingiest are money and forgiveness. So, after all that Jesus taught us in the previous statements about graciousness and generosity, he now sums it up with these two principles:
  1. Our blessings will be based on our willingness to bless others (today's verse), and
  2. our measure of treating, forgiving, and judging others will be the basis used for how we are treated, forgiven, and judged by others and by God (previous two days' verses [1]).

In other words, God has been gracious with us; we can either share that graciousness or abuse it. Grace is wonderful and free until we take it off the market and out of circulation in our relationships. If we stymie, hold, or remove God's grace from circulation, it becomes damaged and lost with us and lost to us. This stern warning reminds us again how seriously God takes our generosity, compassion, and forgiveness with others.

[1] Luke 6:36-37.

Today's Prayer

Father God, forgive my miserly forgiveness in the past. Forgive my previous condemning attitude toward others. Open my heart to share your generosity. Open my heart to give others the benefit of the doubt instead of judging them. Use me as a conduit of your generosity and grace. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • Matthew 7:1-5
  • Galatians 6:7-10
  • 2 Corinthians 9:6-10

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Illustration

Illustration of Luke 6:38 NLT — "Give, and you will receive."

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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