The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love.
Psalm 103:8
Lately, God has been very generous with me. He’s been lavishing me and my family with great gifts… fancy trips to Disneyland, luxurious vacations at Bass Lake, even a new car. There’s a part of me that resists this level of generosity; I almost feel guilty for having nice things and having these wonderful experiences. It’s probably a result of growing up with far less than I have now and knowing how much my parents struggled. It’s also because I’m painfully aware of the poverty and suffering that exists in the world. But as I was doing my devotional, I came across this verse in Psalm 103 that says that God is “gracious” and “abounding.” Those words can also be translated as “generous” and “abundant.” This was reassuring for me because it reminded me that God is a God of infinite blessing, goodness, and love. Just because I gladly receive God’s gracious and abundant love, it does not prevent others from receiving God’s blessing. Furthermore, if I gladly receive God’s gifts knowing I don’t deserve them, I’m more likely to give generously to others. Greed flows out of taking things we think we deserve. Generosity flows out of gratefully receiving things we know we do not deserve.
