Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Promises – Day 157 – Luke 6:37-38 – Give And It Will Be Given – Growing As Disciples
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:37-38 (NIV)
Giving And Receiving
What will you give to others? What do you hope to receive from others? I know where this is headed. Where is this headed? There is a law of reciprocity in life. Tell me about it. If I judge others, I can expect that others will judge me. If I condemn others, I can expect that I will be condemned by them. If, I don’t forgive others, they will not forgive me. You are correct. But you can say more. I know that if I am to receive your forgiveness, I must also forgive others. That is also true. So, failing to forgive is not only a tragedy in this life, it is a tragedy in the next life as well. How so? I don’t want to live with the consequences of being unforgiving, judging and condemning. I want to live in your forgiveness both now and forever. And so, you will as you continue to show others the same kindness and mercy and love that I have shown to you. That I will do. I will follow your example. I will do for others, what you have done for me. I will allow your kindness and mercy and love to flow in and through me to others. That will be very good.
There is more to talk about regarding this law of reciprocity. Yes, I do have more to say. I’m listening. You want me to be generous with what you have given to me. You have richly blessed my life. You have blessed me so I could be a blessing to others. That is true. You do not want me to be tight fisted and closed handed with those who are in need. You want me to give freely just as you have given freely to me. Yes, that is exactly what I want and what I expect of you. But what else do you know? I know that I can’t outgive you. As I continue to give and be generous with others, you will continue to give me more so I can continue to keep on blessing the lives of others. I have found it to be abundantly true that with the measure I give will be the same measure with which I will receive. If I give very little, I will receive very little. So, will you keep on generously giving to others what you hope to receive? Yes Lord, I will keep on giving and receiving so I can bless the lives of others, just as you have blessed my life. That will be very good.
Lord, I will generously give to others what I hope to receive back from them. I will give out forgiveness and kindness, mercy and love. I will give out understanding, encouragement and compassionate. Help me to freely give out what you want me to receive back. Amen
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