Thoughts On Giving (3) - All The Word for Today Daily Devotionals for 2026

‘You must decide in your heart how much to give.' 2 Corinthians 9:7 NLT

We each give for different reasons.

(1) Some people give out of guilt. They give to God's work because they would feel bad if they didn't.

(2) Some people give out of greed. They give only to get. They stand on Scriptures such as: ‘Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.' ( NIV) What's wrong with this kind of thinking? It's ‘me-centred', rather than ‘us-centred'.

(3) Some people give to get glory. Jesus said, ‘Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in Heaven.' (Matthew 6:1 NKJV) God is not just interested in what you give, but in why you give. He looks beyond the measure of your giving, to the motive behind it. If you give to God out of greed, guilt, or glory, He writes a big zero over your account—you've been already paid back. Jesus said: ‘When you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.' (Matthew 6:3-4 NKJV)

(4) Some people give out of gratitude. These are the people who ask, ‘What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits towards me?' (Psalm 116:12 NKJV), and they give out of gratitude. That's the kind of giver you should be.

SoulFood: Gen 1:1-2:3, John 1:1-18