Give, and It Will Be Given

Give, and It Will Be Given  

Scripture Foundation:

Luke 6:38 (NKJV)

"Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

The Sermon (What does it mean?)

Jesus speaks these words on a level plain, surrounded by a crowd of disciples and desperate people. He has just delivered a radical reorientation of Kingdom living—love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. He has just commanded mercy and forbidden judgment and condemnation. Then He anchors this entire counter-cultural lifestyle in a promise that is as practical as it is profound: "Give, and it will be given to you."

The Greek word for "give" is didōmi, a verb of active, intentional release. Jesus is not speaking about a casual donation; He is speaking about a lifestyle of open-handed generosity—with forgiveness, with mercy, with time, with resources, and with compassion. The result is a return that is not merely equal, but excessive. "Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over" describes a grain merchant's practice of filling a container to its absolute maximum capacity—shaking it to settle the grain, pressing it down to fit more, and piling it up until it overflows into the customer's lap (the fold of the robe).

The promise is astonishing: the measure you use for others is the exact measure God will use for you. If you give generously, God will use a generous measure in return. If you give sparingly, stingily, or reluctantly, that same small measure will be used to measure back to you. The principle is not just about money; it is about the currency of the Kingdom—grace, kindness, forgiveness, and compassion.

The Twist

The twist is hidden in the nature of the "measure." We naturally assume that Jesus is giving us a formula for prosperity—"Give money, and God will give you more money." We treat this promise as a divine investment strategy, a way to manipulate God into multiplying our material wealth. We give in order to get. We measure our return by our bank balance.

Here is the shocking reversal: The "measure" you use is not the amount you give; it is the attitude with which you give. The twist is that you do not get back what you give; you get back according to how you give. If you give grudgingly, you will receive grudgingly. If you give cheerfully, you will receive cheerfully. If you give with a closed fist, God's blessings will come to you through a narrow opening. If you give with open hands, God's blessings will come to you in abundance. The measure is not the quantity; it is the quality of your heart.

The second twist is the location of the return. The promise says the return will be "put into your bosom." The bosom was the fold of the robe, the place where valuables were stored. The twist is that the return is not just a future reward; it is a present reality. The overflow is placed directly on you, in your daily life. You do not have to wait for heaven to see the return; you experience it here and now. The joy, peace, and relationships that flow from generous living are the rewards poured into your lap today.

The third twist is the connection between giving and receiving. We naturally think of giving as a loss—we lose what we give away. But Jesus presents giving as the very mechanism of receiving. The twist is that giving is not the subtraction of your blessing; it is the multiplication of your capacity. When you give, you are not losing; you are opening a channel. You are expanding your capacity to receive. The more you give, the more room you create for God's abundance to flow into your life. The generosity is not the cost; it is the catalyst.

The Principle

The core principle is the Law of the Measure You Use. The measure you extend to others is the measure that will be extended to you. The principle is that your generosity determines your capacity to receive. You cannot receive what you are unwilling to give. A closed fist cannot hold a gift. An open hand is both a posture of giving and a posture of receiving.

The second principle is the Law of Overflowing Return. God's return is not a dry, measured transaction; it is a generous, overflowing abundance. The principle is that God does not give according to your stinginess; He gives according to His character. When you give generously, you are not emptying yourself; you are inviting the Lord to pour back into you far more than you could ever give.

The third principle is the Law of the Poured-Out Blessing. The return is not just for your consumption; it is for your continuation. The principle is that the blessing is poured into your bosom so that you can pour it out again. The cycle of generosity is unbroken. You give, God gives, and you give again. The abundance is not a retirement fund; it is a working capital.

How does it apply to me?

It applies by forcing you to examine the measure you are using in your daily life. Are you generous with your forgiveness, or do you measure out forgiveness in tiny portions? Are you generous with your time, or do you hoard it for yourself? Are you generous with your resources, or do you cling to them tightly? The measure you are using today is the measure that will be used to fill your life tomorrow.

Practically:

Audit your measure. Look at how you give—forgiveness, time, money, encouragement, and compassion. Are you giving sparingly or bountifully? Write down one area where you have been using a small measure. Decide to increase that measure this week.

Give before you receive. Do not wait until you have "enough" to give. Give from what you have. Give with a generous heart. The return is not conditional on the size of your gift; it is conditional on the openness of your hand.

Don't give to get. Give because you have been given to. Give because it is the nature of the Kingdom. Give because it is more blessed to give than to receive. Let your giving be a response to grace, not a negotiation for more.

Expect the overflow. When you give generously, do not be surprised when God pours back into your life—not just materially, but in peace, joy, relationships, and opportunities. Keep your eyes open for the "good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over." It is coming.

One Truth to Carry

You cannot out-give God. The moment you open your hand to give, you open your life to receive. The measure you use for others is the measure God will use for you. Give generously, and expect an overflowing return.

Final Reflections

Think about the grain merchant. When a customer buys grain, the merchant does not just pour a few handfuls. He fills the container, shakes it to settle the grain, presses it down to fit more, and pours until it runs over. The merchant wants the customer to leave feeling blessed, not cheated.

Your Father is that merchant. He does not give you a stingy portion. He gives you a pressed-down, shaken-together, running-over portion. But the measure He uses is the same measure you use. If you give generously, He will give generously. If you give with a full and open heart, He will fill your life to overflowing.

Do not be afraid to give. Do not hoard your forgiveness, your time, or your resources. The more you give, the more you receive. Not because God is a transaction machine, but because generosity is the language of the Kingdom. When you speak it, the King responds. He will fill your bosom with good measure. Pressed down. Shaken together. Running over. Your giving is never a loss; it is the key to the greatest gain.

Prayer

Father, I confess that I have often given sparingly. I have measured out forgiveness in small doses, time in limited quantities, and resources with a tight grip. Forgive me for my stinginess. Today, I choose to give generously. I will give forgiveness without limit. I will give time without reservation. I will give resources without fear. I trust that the measure I use is the measure You will use for me. I open my hands to give, and I open my hands to receive. Let Your overflow pour into my life—not just material abundance, but peace, joy, and the blessing of knowing You more. I will be a channel of Your generosity. In the name of Jesus, who gave everything for me, Amen.

Personal Application Prompts

The Measure Audit: Write down three areas of your life where you have been using a small measure—forgiveness, time, money, or encouragement. For each one, write down a specific act of generosity you will take this week. Choose the hardest one and do it first.

The Overflow Check: This week, after you give, pay attention to what comes back to you. It may not be immediate or financial. It may be a word of encouragement, a new opportunity, or a deep sense of peace. Write down three "overflows" you experience—moments where you sensed God's pressed-down, shaken-together blessing returning to you. Let this build your faith for continued generosity.

The Generosity Practice: Intentionally give something this week that costs you—a financial gift you were not planning to give, time you could have spent on yourself, or a forgiveness you did not want to extend. Write down what you gave and to whom. After you give, reflect on how it changed your posture toward receiving.

The "In Your Bosom" Vision: The promise says the return will be put "into your bosom"—close to you, where you cannot miss it. Spend time imagining God pouring His generosity into your daily life. What would it look like to have more peace, more joy, more meaningful relationships, and more opportunities to give? Write down a prayer asking God to fill you to overflowing so that you can continue to pour out. Let this vision shape your giving today.