I read an interesting combination of passages this morning. First, from Psalm 130:

If you Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

The Lord shows his generosity towards us by failing to record our sins for posterity.

Then I flipped to 2 Corinthians where Paul instructs the young church on giving:

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for the Lord loves a cheerful giver.

A cheerful giver. I know a number of people in this category and each delights those in the path of their generosity. The Lord is generous to us, allowing us to be generous to others. We mirror the Creator when we practice generosity.

What’s amazing is that if we give in this spirit, we won’t run out. Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.

The old adage—you can’t outgive God—rings true. A virtuous cycle kicks in. God gives to us, we give to others (our time, talents, and resources), the Lord gives more, we give more.

Good after good after good in a world where good is hard to come by. Others notice and the gospel of Christ spreads.

Stay generous and the Lord stays with you.

Psalm 130 & 2 Corinthians 9 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Jovis Aloor