Open HandedНамуна

Imagine it’s the middle of summer. You’ve been outside in the heat of July, maybe swimming with your kids, sitting on the beach, or taking an early evening walk to end your day. When you finally step inside after being saturated in the heat of the summer sun, the air conditioning hits your face, you crack open the fridge, and you take a sip of an ice-cold drink. The feeling that comes with it? Refreshment! There’s nothing more refreshing than the chill of the cold after the heat of the sun. Well, that same feeling of refreshment is what God promises when we choose to live generously. The people who serve, provide for, and refresh others by giving what they have are the very people God promises to refresh in return. In fact, God promises that those who give generously won’t just be refreshed; no, they’ll prosper, too! To be clear, this isn’t a prosperity gospel promise at all. This doesn’t mean God will literally pour out riches back to us every time we give. Rather, it means that God will pour out every good and perfect thing promised to us when we give with a generous, open heart.

Today, share this verse with a close friend, spouse, or member of your small group. Talk to them about how this Scripture challenges you to not just give, but to look for God’s refreshment in your life when you do.