Out-Giving God

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Out-Giving God

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This spring Holy Day season, I have been blessed by God to be able to spend my spring break with my family in Michigan. After Passover, an elderly woman in our congregation shared with me a unique story about God that I will never forget.

One day a relative was complaining to her about money. They were struggling to see how God could provide for their needs when the numbers didn’t agree. So she simply replied, “You can’t outgive God.”

Time went by, and again in worry they began to complain to her about money. This time she didn’t answer them, and when they hopped into their truck, the Christian radio station turned on and said, “You can’t outgive God.” The message rang loud and clear—God was going to take care of them. They just needed to change their perception and have a little faith.

In the gospels, I believe we see an account of a similar event with Jesus and the disciples. It was near the time of Passover when Jesus Christ and his disciples were in Bethsaida, near on the Sea of Galilee. A great crowd of about 5,000 had followed them there. And Jesus had compassion on them and began to teach the crowd. “He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.”

Later, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” And Philip replied, “It would take more than a half year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” But Jesus knew that this was going to be an opportunity to show God’s glory and the importance of faith. So He had all of the people sit down in groups of fifty and a young boy who was there had “five small barley loaves and two small fish” and gave them to Christ to feed the people.

“Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he (Jesus) gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over” (Compare Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-13, NIV).

Our God loves to give. When we offer all that we have, He can multiply anything according to His might, power and glory—especially in times of need. But God also loves to give even when we are undeserving. Life alone is a miracle from God. He gave His Son, “the bread of life,” so that we could live. And Jesus said, “Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35, NIV).

So give thanks to God—for everything—and trust that He can supply all our needs because we can never “outgive” to our loving and merciful God.