“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
Luke 6:38
Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed and shaken together and running over. Would we not want good measure to be running over in our life? In this verse, it is referencing to measure in return. Jesus is saying that your giving will be measured in return to you. There is blessing in your simple giving to those in need. This is part of the Beatitudes and if you read in verse 30 of Luke chapter 6, Jesus states, “Give to every man that asked of thee.” We may not always think about our state of mind when it comes to giving, or how we feel about it. The attitude of giving without return is one of the key points in this chapter, but Jesus said that your reward shall be great [see verse 35 of Chapter 6]. The Bible tells us that when you give to the poor you are lending to the Lord..
He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord, and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
Proverbs 19:17
Lending to the Lord, wow! When I found this scripture with the promise that it will be paid back, I could not believe it. God’s heart is on the poor and needy who need help and God will bless those who give to the poor. How Proverbs 19:17 lines up with Luke 6:38 was amazing to me, but it brought the point home. I once heard a person say to me in response to not taking a job at a mission that we always have the poor with us. That person said it was in the Bible, and yes it is in Matthew 26:11, but this is in reference to using ointment that was poured upon Jesus as a burial. Jesus said this because his disciples did not understand the good work of the women pouring the perfume upon him. Her focus was on Jesus while the disciples focus was on the money. It all depends upon your heart attitude. Remember, God always looks at the heart of man.
We should not hide our eyes from the poor, for anyone can become poor overnight by disaster. In Proverbs 28:27 is states, “he that giveth unto the poor shall not lack, but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.” Some of us need to rethink about those attitudes that would snob those who are of a lower class. I have experienced twice being homeless because of unforeseen incidents that left me homeless, yet I was not forsaken by God who supplied my every need. Whatever you measure will be measured back to you is the same as saying “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It is an attitude of respecting one another. Respecting our fellow human beings is the key to living a peaceful life. God will establish the work of our hands [see Psalms 90:17]. If you are needy and poor, He will be your helper. All you must do is cry out unto God and he will provide. Repent of any sin and ask God to provide you with the needed help that you need. You will be surprised as I was when me and my dad were homeless in Seattle. We walk around Queen Anne looking for apartment vacancy. My dad knocks on the manager’s door and asks if we could have an apartment. It was a basement apartment, but it was furnished. She let us have the apartment with no down payment. I was praying the whole time. My prayer was answered.
If you are given the opportunity to give, do not withhold your giving. Heed the call in your community at your local food bank, homeless mission, or those in need at your local church. Be a blessing and you will be blessed. Remember that God loves you, so lets share His Love.
