Faithful People Are Generous
By Rick Warren
“So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Luke 16:11-13 NIV).
Faithful people are generous when they don’t have anything to give. Anybody can be generous when they have a surplus. I can be generous with my time when I’ve got a lot of extra time. I can be generous with my money when I’ve got a lot of extra money. I can be generous with my energy when I’ve got extra energy to spend. It’s when I don’t have enough time for me, enough energy for me, enough money for me, enough talent for me that God says, “This is a test. I’m watching you to see if you are faithful. Will you be faithful, and will you trust me?”
Here are five principles in which God will test you and then bless you:
1. God gives to generous people.
Why does God want me to be generous? Because he wants me to be like him.
2. Obeying God’s vision will bring God’s provision.
If you do what God tells you to do, God will bring along the resources you need at the right time. What he’s given you the vision for, he will give you the provision for.
3. When I do all that God tells me to do, he does what I can’t do.
God often asks you to do the impossible to stretch your faith. When you give what little you have, God multiples it and makes up for it.
4. When I have a need, I sow a seed.
Whatever you need in your life, sow that as a seed, and it will come back to you.
5. There’s always a delay between sowing and reaping.
There is a season between planting and harvesting. What’s going on during that delay? It’s a test of your faith.
Will you be faithful to give when you have little? Will you keep on doing the right thing? Will you do what God wants you to do, no matter the cost, and then see what God does?
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk About It
How can you be faithful to give when you have little?
What are the benefits of doing what God wants you to do, no matter the cost?
In what ways are you generous with your time, money, and talents?
How do you respond to giving something in which you have a shortage?
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Gain confidence in your prayer life
Prayer is a simple concept. It’s just a conversation with God.
But at the same time, prayer can be intimidating. After all, you’re talking to the Almighty! It can be hard to know how to ask for your requests, and anticipate how God will answer.
That’s why Rick Warren’s just-released resource called Experience God’s Power Through Prayer is so powerful. It’s not a passive book to simply read, but an interactive, guided experience to help you gain confidence in your prayer life.
Experience God’s Power Through Prayer shows you how to…
• Develop a daily habit of prayer
• Pray expectantly for yourself and others
• Trust God to answer your prayers
• Understand the benefits of memorizing Scripture
• Express your gratitude to God
• Cultivate a courageous faith
Experience God’s Power Through Prayer is our gift to thank you for your donation to help more people learn, love, and live the Word through Daily Hope. So request your copy when you give below.
Thank you for making an eternal investment!
This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
