Happiness Reflection Guide – October 9, 2019

Wednesday

Read: Luke 6:36-38

“³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.³⁷ Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸ 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.” (NIV Luke 6:36-38)

Study: This verse, “Give and it will be given unto you.” is often misunderstood to mean, if you give money, you will be given money. If we look at verse 38 in context of the verses around it, we see that the action, “to give” is referencing the action of giving mercy, nonjudgement, and forgiveness. While we have plenty of examples of financial giving being blessed in scripture, we must remember that God does not always bless people with money simply because they give money. What God does promise here in this section of scripture is that; if we are merciful; if we are forgiving; if we are nonjudgmental; those traits will begin to be evident in our lives and we will receive them as well. So remember this today and ask yourself: How am I showing these traits to others in my daily life?

Pray: Almighty God, you have given me so much. Lead me in showing mercy and forgiveness to those around me today. Amen.