He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ~Romans 8:32

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows,~James 1:27.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ,~Ephesians 1:3

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you,~James 1:5.

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus,~Phil 4:19.

There are so many scriptures that speak about the generosity of our Heavenly Father. I challenge you to seek them out and read them aloud. I have Philippians 4:19 written on my bathroom mirror. I recite Jeremiah 29:11 quite often, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, give you hope and a future.” I cling to that verse in good and bad times.

The Father says, “All that I have is yours!” Take a moment to ponder those words. There is an inheritance that comes from relationship with Christ. God has no lack. Not only does He not have lack, He is extremely generous. The Creator of the Universe is inviting you to come to Him with your desires, dreams, hopes, aspirations, and more. He cares about what you care about. He withholds no good thing from us (Psalm 84:11).

Okay so now let’s talk about why you may or may not be feeling the generosity of God.

1. God works through people.

Yes, God can rain down gold from the sky, but most of the time He works through humans. Why? It gives us a chance to partner with Him. It teaches us to give and receive. It teaches us to love. So, when people bless us, we often thank them and not God. I’ve had random people bless me. I know it was God. People who have never met me have reached out at times to offer prayer, support, encouragement, help. God works through people and even people who don’t know Him.

2. We are stingy or have selfish motives.

As a loving Father, God knows when we are asking for things for the wrong reasons or if He gave us what we asked for whether it would be good for us. If He did not love us, He would cave and give us everything we wanted when we wanted it. He’s smart. For example: I love horses. I think they are beautiful. I have been asking God for a horse for years. Here’s the problem. I don’t have the space for a horse, nor do I know how to care for one. Why would God give me something that would be a burden not a blessing? In response to my constant prayers, God had someone give me a horse figurine.

In God’s Kingdom, giving leads to abundance. God blesses us out of the kindness of His heart, and we don’t earn blessings. However, the giver always has more than the stingy person in God’s Kingdom. If God can get it through you, He will get it to you. I read about this pastor who was always giving money away to other churches even when they needed the money to pay their bills. Or He would feed the poor when they needed to eat. This pastor has been blessed tremendously, and God has always met their needs. We can’t out give God. He said whatever we give will be given back in abundance. We don’t give to get, that’s the wrong motive. When we do have a heart to give, God gives back and it’s more than we gave.

Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full–pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back, Luke 6:38.

3. People are called to bless each other within God’s Body.

We (you and I) are called to bless other people. If I go to church with sister Sally and know her husband is out of work and they can’t pay their bills, I am called to bless them if I can. God said love and care for one another, not just pray for one another. If we are not giving to other people, they are not experiencing the generosity of God. The same goes for the gifts of the Spirit. If everyone comes to church on Sunday to hear a word, then goes home….then the Body of Christ is not functioning at it’s best. We (all God’s children) are called to serve and be generous. It’s not just for pastors, leaders, counselors, and missionaries.

4. Unbelief.

Not believing God is actually sin. It’s challenging to believe God when circumstances have demonstrated something other than the blessing of God. Just read the story of Job. Faith is an important and vital part of relationship with God. Believing leads to seeing. If I don’t believe God wants to bless me or is blessing me, guess what? I don’t see or receive anything. If someone gives you a gift and you say it’s not for you, then you don’t get anything. Unbelief says, “God can’t or God won’t do this.” Doubt says, “I know God can do this, but I am not so sure He will.” God can and will bless us even when we don’t believe Him, however we miss out on so much because we are unwilling to believe God is who He says He is.

Lastly I will say God is continually pouring out blessings on the righteous and unrighteous, it’s not always acknowledged as being from Him. The list above is about our perceptions and possible hindrances to seeing the generosity of God. God is good, kind, loving, and generous.

If God says no to a request, it’s only because He has something better in mind or what we’re asking for is not good for us or another person. He also won’t force us to do His will. So, if you’re praying for something that involves another person, know that God will work in and around them, but won’t force His will or yours on them.

Papa I ask that anything that is hindering us from receiving Your blessings would be uprooted and removed. May we walk in the truth that You’re a great Dad, and You love us. Help us to receive Your blessings and then give them away. Heal past hurts and disappointments. Help us to live lives filled with hope. In Jesus name, Amen.

P.S You are deeply loved.

 

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