Generosity

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Tuesday morning, the 18th of April, 2023 and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

“The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.”  
Proverbs 11:25

“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”  
2 Corinthians 9:7

Don’t be stingy, don’t be tight-fisted, and don’t be mean - it doesn’t pay. You see, our Heavenly Father is a generous Giver by nature. Remember, He gave us His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. If we look at Luke 6:38, Jesus said, 

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

The farmer who is generous with his land, who does not hold back, puts plenty of fertiliser, looks after his crop and tends it gently, always reaps a bountiful crop. But the farmer who is always cutting corners, always pulling back. He never ever gets a bountiful crop. Often when I travel to central Africa, I have the privilege of preaching the Gospel to poor people and they give me the best that they have. Sometimes it’s only a cup of water and a crust of bread, but their love and their generosity are so touching and it seems to taste so much better than when I’ve been to a very, very wealthy man’s house and he gives me a three-course, sumptuous meal but he gives it to me with no love and almost a bit reluctantly. It just doesn’t taste nice, does it?

I have a little five-year-old grand-daughter and she comes down to my house and makes things with her granny. Sometimes, she’ll bring me a Marie Biscuit which has got so much glitter, and so much icing, and so many stars and sparkles on it, that I can hardly get it into my mouth, but she gives it to me with such love, it brings a tear to my eye. And that’s not the end, then she brings me a cup of tea and that cup of tea has got about six teaspoons of sugar in it and I have to drink it …and I have to ask if she’s got any more! She has to say to me, ”Next time grand-dad, next time Khulu”. But I want to tell you that I would rather have that Marie Biscuit and those six teaspoons of sugar in that tea than a cordon bleu meal. You see it’s the heart. By the way, granny seems to eat that meal and drink that tea much easier than I do!

Have a wonderful day,

Jesus bless you and goodbye.