Monday, October 19, 2026

Bible in a Year Reading Plan: Deuteronomy 29-31 | John 1

I should not be writing about generosity. I don't feel very generous lately - I feel tired, drained, and burned out. Maybe you can relate.

I've been tempted to pull back on some of the ways I give - not just with my money, but with my time, energy, and other resources. For example, I have a Bible study group I host at my house. I love these women and providing a space where we can share life with each other. However, I'm also relieved when we have to cancel some weeks. Suddenly I don't have to worry about my social battery or whether the house is clean, and I have unexpected time to catch up on other tasks.

Last week, our group had plans to embrace fall with a fire in my backyard, one of my favorite activities. And yet, when I got home from work that day, I didn’t want to get a fire going, make sure we had enough chairs and roasting sticks, set out hot dogs and marshmallows, etc. I didn't want to be generous with my time, space, or energy - I wanted to binge-watch something mindless and take a nap.

But as the girls arrived, the fire got started, and we began catching up and sharing stories, something changed. By the end of the evening, I was still definitely tired, but my heart was lighter.

Sometimes the things we're tempted to say no to because we don't feel like we have the margin, are exactly the things we need to refill us.

2 Corinthians 9:10
For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

Generosity changes more than just circumstances. Sometimes, being generous with what God has given us serves us just as much as it does whoever we're trying to serve.

God isn't after our resources - he's after our hearts. As we learn to give with open hands, our confidence in God's faithfulness grows, and we begin to experience the kind of transformation that our resources alone could never produce.

Questions: 
Where do you struggle to be generous? Where do you feel God is calling you to give?

Next Steps: 
Sometimes, we do genuinely need to say no for the sake of our own well-being; other times, what we’re saying no to is actually exactly what we need (even if it doesn’t immediately feel like it). The next time you’re unsure whether you should be generous with your resources, don’t immediately say yes or no. Take time to check in with yourself, pray, and truly listen to where God’s leading you.

Prayer: 
Heavenly Father, thank you for the resources you’ve given me. Help me to remember none of it’s mine, and to use it accordingly. Grow a generous heart within me. Give me wisdom and discernment in how I use my money, time, energy, and other resources. May your will be done in me and through me. Amen.

Series Theme Verse:

1 Timothy 6:6-7
Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 

Written by Payton Lechner, a regular contributor to the Daily Devotional.