There is so much Scripture about giving, and all of it seems to reward our generosity with heavenly munificence. I like that word for the way in which God gives to us because that word, munificence, seems to encompass the magnificent liberality of God in showering us with grace and every spiritual blessing in Heaven. Here are four promises to us about sharing.

Luke 6:38 “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."

2 Cor 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Mark 4:8 8 “Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."

​Luke 6:38, 2 Cor 9:7, 1&2 Give, and it will be given to you...(Luke 6:38) and the Lord loves a cheerful giver... (2 Cor 9:7, 1 & 2) Can we turn God’s generosity into a way to compel God to give to us? Does our tithe, our giving boil down to, “Oh, I gave to this charity, and, therefore, I expect a great return on a bad investment in the stock market?” I think, for me, if I am honest sometimes it does. I can remember the first time I gave a tithe to my church, as soon as the basket passed to the next person I wanted to take it back and say that I was working my way to giving, but right now was not the proper time. I’ll give next week, but, by that time, before even I could stand up on the pew and shout, “This is not really a holdup, I just want my money back,” the basket was being blessed by the priest. Of course, over time, I have always had way more returned than I ever gave, but the giving of the heart has changed. Sometimes, ok, in fact all the time, I actually do want to bless the person, charity, church or group to which I am giving, and I don’t even think about the return because I have just come to know it will be there, and I can enjoy the blessing of giving whether or not there is ever any return. I still do believe a good principle is the more I need, the more I give. Is it always returned in money? Sometimes the blessings are far greater in deeds that you know benefit someone or some group who really needs and uses it well, and sometimes you give and know that it is not used well. But the Lord looks to our heart and not to the donee’s heart in measuring our gift.