A KINGDOM PRINCIPLE OF INCREASE
Proverbs 11:24-25 NKJV
24 There is one who scatters, yet increases more;
And there is one who withholds more than is right,
But it leads to poverty.
25 The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself.
If anyone understood Kingdom principles of increase, it would be the author of the Proverbs, Solomon. He was the king who asked God for wisdom to be a good ruler, and God gave him what he had asked. God also gave Solomon what he didn't ask for: riches and honor. It's always important to keep in mind that the richest King who ever ruled Israel was not seeking riches; he sought to be a blessing to God's people.
And we see the wisdom that God gave Solomon throughout the book of Proverbs. I never get tired of reading the God-given insights found in these 31 chapters. And our verses for today underscore the value of being generous.
There is one who scatters yet increases more. The word scatter signifies the sharing of good things. The word is also translated as distributing. This sharing or distributing is contrasted with the one who withholds more than they should. And the results of scattering and withholding are also contrasted. The one who shares and gives of his resources actually increases. The one who holds onto what he has loses ground.
And just in the event that the lesson of generosity is not clear, verse 25 drives home the point. The generous soul is the one made rich. And the one who waters, is watered himself. This verse makes me think of what Jesus said in Luke 6:38, "Give and it will be given to you." And "with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you."
But don't allow the word rich to throw you. Think abundance, a full supply. Or you can think in line with how this verse reads in the King James Bible: "The liberal soul shall be made fat." Same meaning- someone who was fat in the day of food scarcity was someone living in abundance. Personally, I would rather the New King James wording and go with rich as opposed to fat.
I like how these verses read in the New Living Translation. "Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed."
Regardless of how we word it, generosity is a key principle in God's Kingdom. Our Heavenly Father is generous. Our Savior is generous. So much so that when Judas left in the middle of the last supper, the other disciples thought he may have been leaving to give to the poor. God's Kingdom is a Kingdom of giving and generosity and increase. Not a stingy kingdom of scarcity and lack.
APPLICATION
Long before anyone ever coined the phrase prosperity gospel, God has blessed and increased His people. But God has always expected His people to be generous, not stingy. Paul would say that God loves a cheerful giver. God loves all, but He delights in the one who is generous because He is that way.
And generosity is not limited to money. We can be generous with our time, love, help, encouragement, and friendship. In any area that we want to see increase, a good question to ask is, what can I give in this area? This is not a modern prosperity trick but a timeless Kingdom principle.
PRAYER
Lord, show me how I can be more generous and giving in all areas of my life. I want to be a blessing and to see increase that comes from doing things Your way.