Day 67 – 90 Days in Proverbs - Water Freely
Proverbs 11:24-25 [ESV] 24 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. 25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.
Our Heavenly Father tells us repeatedly that He wants children who are giving. He promises to reward giving behavior.
Luke 6:38 [ESV] says, “give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."
Ecclesiastes 11:1 [ESV] tells us, Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.
And 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 [ESV] explains two points about giving: 6 … whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
The Father wants cheerful and generous givers and He promises an abundant return on that investment in giving to others. He understands that few of us will ever have the resources to build an orphanage or a hospital wing. In fact, some of us have had or will have times in our lives when we don’t have a dollar to spare.
In those times, as well as in times of abundance, we need to remember the latter part of verse 25 of Proverbs 11, where it says one who waters will himself be watered, And be reminded of John 7:38-39 [ESV] where it says 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
If we are filled with the Holy Spirit (if we are “watered” by it), we have living waters that can flow from us to others. And then, because the Holy Spirit is a living, flowing water source, like a river, we will always be refilled so that it can continue to grow.
Without a dollar to my name, I can water others with the Holy Spirit – with love, joy, peace, the Gospel message, and so forth.
Sisters, the Good Father, who gives generously to us, wants His daughters to also be generous givers, especially with the Holy Spirit. If we withhold it, we ourselves will suffer want as Proverbs 11:24 tells us. If we give it generously, we will find that we have the Holy Spirit, that living water, in abundance.
May your rivers never run dry, sweet sisters.
Prayer — Father God, thank You for your generosity in giving me good gifts in this life. Thank You for the Spiritual gifts You give: the gift of forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus Christ my Lord; the gift of the Holy Spirit – a living water that can flow through me. Please help me to be generous like You, helping others by sharing the physical blessings You have provided and, most importantly, by sharing the gift of the Holy Spirit and its fruit with them. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen
Your thoughts —
_____________________________________________________________________________________