8. Live Generously
A generous man will prosper;
he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
Proverbs 11:25 ( NIV)
Generous– liberal in giving
King Solomon was a generous man. He was not generous simply because he was the wealthiest man, his generosity started before he received immense wealth.
The King went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar. At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, ” Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
1 Kings 3: 4-5 (NIV)
The LORD gave Solomon an open cheque as a response to the generosity Solomon had shown towards Him. The LORD knew that Solomon could be trusted with true wealth because of his generous spirit. How did Solomon respond to this open cheque?
So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover I will give you what you have not asked for-both riches and honor-so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.
1 Kings 3:9-13 ( NIV)
Solomon responded to the Lord’s open cheque by putting the needs of others before his desires. If given the same opportunity, how many of us would respond in a similar way?
After receiving this promise, Solomon continued to give generously to the Lord:
On that same day the king consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord, and there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar before the LORD was too small to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings.
1Kings 8:64( NIV)
King Solomon’s generosity was not limited to the Lord and the people of Israel:
King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for, besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty…
1 Kings 10:13( NIV)
Why Should We Give?
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son…
John 3:16 ( NIV)
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:8
…God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
1John 4:16 (NIV)
We give because giving is the purest expression of love. When we give we allow God to express the fullness of His nature in and through us.
When we give, we give to the Lord, as per Matthew 25:34-40 (NIV):
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Your Turn
Are you a generous person? Are you liberal in your giving or are you waiting to reach a certain level of success before you can give? We all have something we can give…be it money, time or something as simple as a smile. God has given each of us an opportunity to express Him to others.
And if you consider yourself a giver, what is your motivation for giving? Do you give so that you can show off to the world, or do you give out of pity, or just so that you can receive…or perhaps do you give so that you can bribe God? If your motivation for giving is not love…are you truly a giver?
Today I challenge you to walk in love and live generously.