I was shopping for clothes this past weekend when a sweet lady just came up to me randomly and gave me some coupons. I did not know her and was just looking through some dresses for my size and she kindly asked me if I had any coupons for the store I was in. I said no and she said, well here you go! She was not going to use the coupons before they expired so she gave them to me. That was so nice of her. I ended up getting a really good deal. I felt grateful and thankful for God’s favor and the kindness of a stranger.

One of my friends was shopping with me that day and as we were leaving the store I still had extra coupons from the lady that I was not able to use. My friend said, “Hey, you should give those coupons to someone else so they can use them too.” She was so right and I am so glad she said something. So we looked around the store and chose someone else to give it to. J

This quickly reminded me of the principles of giving in the Bible. 2 Corinthians 9:6,10-11 says, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. You will be made rich in every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.”  

My friend really had the right idea. I had not thought about passing on the coupons but she did. She was thinking about keeping the gift going. I really believe that this is how God wants us to give. He is a God that gives in abundance. There are times that He blesses us with so much “fruit”, so to speak, that we have more of it than we know what to do with. When we are blessed with much we must give that excess away to further bless others and keep the blessing going and flowing. This brings glory to God. The problem with fruit is that when you let it sit for too long it gets bad. Don’t hold on to excess “fruit” when it was meant to be given away.

 

A few weeks ago I was at work and needed help on a project. The help I needed was dependent on someone else. The only way I could get what I needed was through this person. I asked for help and I wondered if everything was going to turn out ok. But I prayed and kept turning back to what I knew: God will cause everything to work out for my good. He can help me when I can’t do any more on my own. A few days later I was called into this person’s office and she told me that she had what I needed. I was so happy. She asked, “Will this help you?” And with a grateful and happy face I replied, “Yes! Thank you so much!” She went on to say, “I woke up in the middle of the night last night and it just came to me that I had what you asked me for and that I could invite you in here to get what you needed.” And it was just in time too! How amazing is that? So I leave you with a thought that I hope will be encouraging to you: God can cause someone to think about us in the middle of the night to answer our prayer. Let me tell you that this is not the first time this has happened to me! God is so good.

Here’s an example from the Bible about Mordecai:

Esther 6:1-3, “That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate Kind Xerxes. ‘What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?’ the king asked. ‘Nothing has been done for him,’ his attendants answered.”

This is how Mordecai was honored: Esther 6:7-9, "…'For the man the king delights to honor, have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on his head’…’and lead him on the horse through the streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’”

My personal example was not nearly as serious but God can cause someone to wake up in the middle of the night and cause us to come to someone’s mind and change our situation.