Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return. Luke 6:38.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. John 10:10.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God says:
Life is only about one thing: Giving life. I breathe life into you and you breathe it into others by caring for others. Matthew 25:35-40, John 21:15-17. You live to give. Paul counseled those who had been stealing that they must steal no longer; but rather they must labor, performing with their own hands what is good, so that they would have something to share with one who has need. Ephesians 4:28. And I am not just referring to financial giving, but to all areas in which you interrelate with others to give them life or death, such as being careful what you say to others and how you say it. I counsel you to let no idle, evil, rude, unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29. And grace is My divine life flowing into you, making you partakers of My divine nature. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice, these words do not give life but death to the hearer. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as I in Christ also have forgiven you.
It is in giving that you receive. Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return. Luke 6:38. Give without measure and you will receive treasure without measure. If you sow sparingly, you will also reap sparingly, but if you sow bountifully, you will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for I love a cheerful giver. And I am able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, “He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor, His righteousness endures forever.” Psalm 112:9. I who supply seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 2 Corinthians 8:6-10.
I open My hand to feed you and you open your hand to others. Job prayed for his friends and received all he lost plus more. A life of abundance does not come from hoarding but from giving. Owe no one the debt but to love them.
I tell you to bear fruit, much fruit. Why? Fruit is for others. A tree draws its life and sustenance up from its roots where it is planted but its fruit is for you. Not for itself. Your fruit is to nourish others, not just yourself.
Do you remember the parable Jesus told about the unfruitful fig tree? “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’” Luke 13:6-9. And My Son told you also, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.” John 15:5-6.
Give others life, give them good fruit to eat. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Matthew 7:18-20.
There are those who do not give life but draw the life out of others for themselves. Do not be like a sucker on a tree that saps the life out of it for itself to live at the expense of the tree. Give others the freedom of a life of their own. There are those who try to sap your life for themselves. They do not live to give but to take.
Some are life givers and some are life takers. Life-takers care about no one’s interest but their own. But that will not give you abundant life. An abundant life is that of giving.
Giving life is about giving yourself in service to others. But the ultimate service you can give another is to make them mature in Christ. I gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, you are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, you are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. Ephesians 4:11-16.
Jesus came to give you life. That is why I sent Him to you. He told you, “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy but I came that you might have life, and have it in abundance, until it overflows.” John 10:10. I gave Him to you so that you will never perish but have eternal life. John 3:16.
You who believe in My Son have life, eternal life. It is in Him and He is in you when you believe.
Life is fruitful. I prosper the works of your hands. I bless you to be a blessing.
Creative giving occurs when your giving creates new life in others so that they become givers too. Teach others to give and you have taught them how to really live. Paul told you to stop stealing, i.e., taking, and work to give, i.e., giving. Give what? Forgiveness, love, mercy, justice, independence, freedom from slavery and abuse, truth sets free. Give others Jesus and you have given them the gift of abundant life.
Jesus gives you living water. He baptizes you in the Holy Spirit that gives life to your mortal bodies with resurrection power. Jesus went about doing good (teaching, preaching, healing) and healing all who were oppressed of the devil.
Life is about one thing: giving life. Jesus told you that, the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy but He came to give you life and give it abundantly. And how did He do that? He took your burdens and gave you freedom. He took your shame away and gave you dignity. He loved you and found you worthwhile. He reconciled you with Me. He gave you rest for your souls.
I gave you My Son so you would have eternal life. It is all about life. I breathed it into you. I gave you life for the light of men. I enlighten you with the light of life. In Christ, I take you dead spirit and give it life, newness of life, and make you a new creation in Christ. Old things have passed away, all is new. I have given you life, life that is life indeed. What you have freely received, freely give.
Everything you do with others or speak to others should be giving life. There are words of death and there are words of life. And death and life are in the power of your tongue. Speak life that you and your descendants may live. Never put others down or quench their spirits. Never treat others with contempt. Never demean people. Never try to make others feel guilty and ashamed of themselves. Treat others as you would want them to treat you. With mercy. With love. And if you see another sinning, you must speak to them in love so that they do not earn the wages of death. Love gives life, it never rejoices in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. Life giving words lead others to life, they never condone death.
And do not worry about amassing things. Life is more than physical things. I know you need food, clothing and shelter and there is nothing you shall want if you seek My Kingdom first, and My Kingdom is a Kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. And that is a definition of abundant life—a life of righteousness, peace and joy. And that kind of life is fruitful. It never sits still for long but looks for ways to give out of its overflow.
I love you. Let that love draw you into life abundant that overflows to others too. It is in giving that you receive. The more you give, the more you will have. That seems contrary to the world, but it makes perfect sense if you look at all you give as seeds that come back to you in a harvest. And the more seeds you plant, the more abundant the harvest. If you have a need, don’t seek to take from others, instead when you have a need, plant a seed and watch the need get filled with a harvest in return. Seedtime and harvest shall not cease as long as the earth remains. Genesis 8:22.