I have the good fortune to know many, many generous people. When around a generous person, I feel lighter, like things will work out. There’s something about a generous spirit that infects those around them.

I like to think I’ve a generous person, but deep down I know I’m slower to give than I should. My wife lives her generosity way better, which laps over and helps me share better.

When the psalmist writes, blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands, I notice that twice in the following paragraphs the blessed person lives out their generosity:

Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely…

They (the blessed) have freely scattered their gifts to the poor…

To experience the blessings of the Lord is unparalleled. A sign of such blessing, an outcome of my blessedness, a normal and correct response to understanding the ways the Lord blessed me, is to simply turn and bless others.

When one enjoys the blessings of the Lord (and I certainly do), then it’s my duty to spread those blessings around. To cling to them them is to ruin them.

Generosity grows the blessedness of the Lord. A good word for me, and perhaps for others of us less inclined.

Psalm 112 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Elaine Casap