Generous Living - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - January 23

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Generous Living
By Tiffany Thibault

Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor. - Proverbs 22:9

I was newly married when I got my first dog. We named him Buddy, and he was super sweet and friendly.

We had a dog door that Buddy could access to go in and out of the house. One day I was at work in our office. I heard the dog door flap open then close as Buddy went outside. He enjoyed wandering around, digging little holes and checking to see if any of the neighbors were in their yard (for they were good for extra petting and sometimes a bone.)

I had just finished my work in the office and was walking into the living room when Buddy poked his head in the dog door, looking around, to see what was going on. He saw me, leaped through the dog door and ran over to where I stood, dropping a dead bird at my feet. He stood there with his ridiculous grin, his tail wagging furiously with joy.

Two completely opposite thoughts ran through my brain at that moment. Gross. Blessed. There was a dead bird laying on my carpet where my little girls played. Disgusting. Then I looked at Buddy’s grinning face, I knew that he loved me. He wanted to bless me by bringing me what he thought was an amazing gift. How could I be mad at that face, at that loving gesture?

I knelt down, gave him a big hug and said good boy! I then gave him a treat to distract him before grabbing some paper towels, picking up that dead bird and putting it in the trash. As I used cleaner to scrub the floor where the decaying bird had dropped, Buddy stood by my side sniffing around for the gift he had given me.

Over the years I have often thought of Buddy’s generosity. All he wanted was to bless me, instead of keeping that treasure for himself. In return, he was blessed with a hug, praise and a treat because he chose to give.

In our verse today, it says that whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed. Buddy went out in the yard to explore and look for new things. He found a bird and thought of me. As you go about your day, are you looking for opportunities to be generous? Can you make it a point today to look for one person you can bless?

A bountiful person gives generously. Buddy gave me the whole bird, keeping none for himself. How can you be more generous to the people around you today?

A bountiful person shares his faith. Who can you share God’s love with? To whom can you give a Bible? What ministry can you donate some of your vacation days to helping?

A bountiful person gives from his energy. Is there someone who needs a smile? Can you hold the door open for the tired mother and her crying toddler? Can you offer to watch someone's kids for a few hours so that they can have a break? Can you drive your elderly neighbor to the store to help them get groceries?

A bountiful person gives his time. Can you carve out a few hours a month to help serve at the homeless shelter, or visit the elderly from your church who can’t make it to services?

Our verse also says that you will be blessed if you share your bread with the poor. That bird would have been a sweet treat for Buddy, but he chose to share it with me. Who can you share your bread with today? Who can you bless out of the resources that the Lord has blessed you with?

When we choose to look for opportunities to bless others, we will be blessed in return. Maybe the blessing will be that our perspective changes as we learn to live out our faith with those around us. Maybe the blessing we receive is not tangible, but instead is just learning to live abundantly. Today, go out and look for one person to bless. See what a difference it will make in your heart and life.

Tiffany Thibault enjoys living life with her husband, two daughters and one very large dog in San Diego. She not only homeschools her girls, but she also loves to write about Jesus and speak about Him to groups of women. She loves long walks, coffee and anything chocolate.

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Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.

Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.

I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!