The other day at Starbucks I was getting my free coffee (which will end when January does!) and there was a man who's been there a lot lately. From what I can gather, he's middle-aged, doesn't have a job, nor does he have a place to live other than the camper that he drives. When I passed by him, he had a scent of not having bathed for a few days and it seemed he was doing school work on his laptop.
God was tugging at my heart to support him in some way. I decided to get him a Starbucks gift card. Even though I had looked at my finances just the previous night and knew things were tight, even when I thought I didn't have anything to give to this man, I did it anyway.
God blessed it. And He ended up almost doubling what I received in return when a friend paid for something I had anticipated paying for.
This small circumstance reconfirmed for me what I already knew to be true: you can't out-give God. And when you think you can't give anymore, even though you hear God calling you to give more, when you do it, He will meet you there with more blessings to give back to you. He is, after all, the King of unlimited resources.
The apostle Paul talked about this when addressing the church at Philippi after they had generously given to meet his needs: "I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received... the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Philippians 4:18-20
Finances. Time. Gifts. God gave all of these to us to use appropriately for His glory, and there's so much more where those came from. Give when you think you can't afford to. And watch what God does!
To God be all the glory.
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