God gives abundantly, and our treasuries overflow!
You might not agree with this statement. You might look around at your challenging life, unreliable car, and a job that doesn’t pay enough and think these words are naive. Perhaps your treasury is a little bare today. However, I’d like to encourage you to look and see, listen and hear of the abundance of God.
Having Plenty in a Time of Want
White paper, it was free. We had it in great quantity because of someone God united us with. Once upon a time, a printer of Christian literature and his wife took me and my young children in. From the abundance of their faith, they cared for us. They didn’t have much money, but that did not seem to matter to them. We were blessed by their generosity as they shared freely what they did have, which included an endless supply of white paper.
Years later, that paper brought a breath of life to a second Christmas in lack as a young mother. A shift of circumstances had struck, but I was standing on a Rock that did not shake. Crafts made with scissors, broken crayons, and tape by young hands using that white paper set the stage for a fantastic holiday scene.
Grand Offerings
We had a fake tree, not of the evergreen sort. It looked kind of like a birch sapling. But adorned with delicate paper ornaments, it became the most beautiful Christmas tree. Stark white paper chains in profusion tacked up all over the living room ceiling nearly twinkled in their appearance. Windows were blanketed with dainty snowflakes. It was a beautiful sight to behold!
You see, God gave abundantly. His offerings may not have appeared grand to others and hadn’t seemed to come in material ways, but from the overflow of Him, we were joyful.
Open our Eyes and Ears, Lord
When we serve God with gladness, are joyful in heart, and praise Him for His richness, we see the plenty that He bestows. Our eyes become opened and His work is revealed. Our hearing becomes acute by the power of the Lord when we look to Him.
A change in perspective may be necessary to appreciate the abundance found in poverty or loss, but such a shift only comes from God. Revelations, which send the truth that He does give abundantly deep into our souls, touch us when we focus on Him. Placing God at our centers, not because He gives but because He is worthy, draws us into an intimate relationship that changes and deepens as we grow.
God’s Giving Never Ends
Jeremiah 33:6 states that God will “bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.” Peace and truth are traits of God, and the abundance of Him fills us until His qualities overflow the boundaries of us. This occurs when we make our relationship with Him our priority.
To give from our abundance is giving from God’s overflow. What He gives to us we don’t need to cling to and hold tightly for ourselves, because His blessings never end. We can be charitable from the surplus, but mightier still is when we give even more. When we share what He gives to us, we express faith, and a trust such as this is a gem in itself.
Give to Others As God Leads
God gives abundantly. Because of this truth, as He leads, we can give as well, even when it seems that we don’t have. The joy we gain when giving with God is a blessing to us. The faith we exhibit is a treasure to our Lord.
Seek God, grow in His abundant love, and give only as He puts on your heart. As an extension of the body of Christ, you are able to reach, touch, and bless others. The giving you do on His behalf can come in many forms: prayer, presence, kindness, sharing, support, love, and of course (but not necessarily) material.
True Treasures From God
The simplicity of true treasure, as revealed to us by God, brings contentment with what we have, without need or desire for more. We can be satisfied because we see that God gives abundantly. Additionally, with His direction and from the overflow of our hearts, we can give of ourselves to bless others.
Keep close to the Lord so you’re sure to see the abundance of His giving and to know when to share with others!
God’s peace,
Rebecca
To be prepared for when times of struggle come, read Life’s Ups and Downs.