The Quiet Generosity of God
By Lynette Kittle
Bible Reading:
“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” - 2 Corinthians 9:11
During this season of Thanksgiving, we have so much to thank God for. When it comes to talking about His generosity, where do we even begin? How could we possibly cover even a small part of it, when His generosity toward us in this life and the life to come could fill entire libraries?
Often, we hear and see individuals raise their fists and voices, accusing God of withholding from them. But that couldn’t be further from the truth because God is a giver, not a withholder. He is love, and out of His love for us flows unlimited generosity beyond belief.
Even those who don’t know Him may not realize or recognize His generosity in their lives. As Jesus said in Matthew 5:45, “…He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
God’s Quiet Generosity
Because God doesn’t announce every time He is generous to us, many of us are prone to take His generosity for granted, missing just how much He gives us.
Although the list could go on and on, the following are eight ways God is quietly generous to us.
1. God gives us favor and honor. We may not always feel it, but God gives us favor and honor. As Psalm 84:11 tells us, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”
2. God gives so that there is no lack in our lives. There isn’t any lack with God, as 2 Peter 1:3 reminds us, “God has given us all that we need in this world and the life to come.”
We are not only set for this life on earth but also for eternity and everlasting life. Psalm 34:10 assures us that even if “The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”
3. God gives us His Holy Spirit without limits. Because we’re used to limits on almost everything in life, from sales to paychecks and more, we tend to believe God is limited, too. But He’s not, as Jesus describes in John 3:34: “For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.”
We don’t ever have to be at a loss for God’s Holy Spirit, at least not on His end, because He generously gives Him to us. If we feel distant from Him, it’s not because God has pulled away. He has given us a sure guarantee of His presence.
2 Corinthians 5:5 explains how, “Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
4. God gives us victory. With God, we are winners, not losers, even when we might feel like losers at various times in our lives or when it looks that way to others.
As 1 Corinthians 15:57 reminds us, “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
5. God gives us strength. Even when we feel weak, we can be strong because God gives us the strength we need through Him.
As Philippians 4:13 describes, “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”
6. God gives us His Son. Throughout the ages, since Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection, God has continued to offer the gift of salvation through His Son to all who will come to Him.
As Romans 8:32 describes, “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?”
In Jesus, God gives us more than we could ever deserve, as 2 Corinthians 9:15 reminds us, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
7. God gives us endurance and encouragement. Sometimes we feel like we have to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and endure life's challenges through our own strength. But Romans 15:5 explains how God wants to be our source of both endurance and encouragement:
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had.”
8. God gives us everything we need to live a godly life. Sometimes we may think it’s too hard to follow Jesus and live a godly life, but God gives us everything we need to do so.
As 2 Peter 1:3 describes, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.”
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Why not take time in the coming weeks to consider God’s generosity in your life and remind yourself of it each and every day? Make a list on your phone or write down examples of His generosity and stick them on your refrigerator. Let these reminders encourage you to be grateful and thank God for His quiet generosity.
Further Reading:
A Prayer to Stir up Thanksgiving Gratefulness
How did today’s devotional speak to you? Share your thoughts in the Crosswalk Devotional discussion.
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
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