Luke 6:38 (NIV) 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. Let Jesus break this “give” principle down for you so you can see how it works. It has a lot to do with Jesus’ process of bringing healing into your life.

Give: You can let your problem with marriage cause you to feel really sorry for yourself. You can be deeply hurt that God isn’t setting you free. You can feel hurt that people don’t understand how tough your situation is. It may be hurting you because people see you as being weak. But, Jesus is laying out a foundational principle upon which all His miracles, blessings, help, and solutions are based on.

Giving may be the last thing you want to do; it may be the last thing you think would help you; but, you need to pray and ask Jesus to help you get your eyes off of what you need and maybe even what you feel you deserve to get. You need His help getting your eyes off of you and on where you need to give. This “give” principle is a very powerful door opener into the mighty blessings of God.

There are things you already have, what are they? There are things you need; but, there are also things you don’t need. What excess do you have that you don’t need? What is it that you can do, say, or give that comes from that excess? Jesus has an issue that He is concerned with. He is aware that you have what this other person needs. Just as soon as Jesus shows you where this person is that has this need, you can get started helping them with it. And, just as soon as you do, Jesus will start solving your problem. Give, and it WILL be given to you.

Give, and it will be given to you: Just think about a river; the only way for more water to move forward is for the water in front of it to get out of the way. You need to take those things you already have that you no longer need and let them flow forward.

When you give your time, effort, money, and possessions, that you don’t need yourself, it makes room for God to give you the next blessing, miracle, healing, provision, and resource needed. God may have sent you something you don’t need. That may be confusing to you because you were looking for God to meet YOUR needs. But, a river is for a lot of people. The supply may have come your way because you are in contact with the person who needs it.

A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over: As long as your problem with marriage becomes something that focuses your attention on those things you don’t have, things you desperately need, problems you must have solved, and things you are suffering over and need to be healed of, you won’t understand why God is blessing you with a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over. It isn’t until you start understanding that God wants to use you to be a blessing to other people that you see a need for more than you can use.

Will be poured into YOUR lap: When special things start coming your way, it is true that you are being blessed by God. But, if you feel you are being blessed so you can be blessed, then you aren’t understanding this foundational Scripture in Luke 6:38. “Give” means you have something, give it away and don’t have it anymore and then have an empty spot where God pours in His blessings.

To you giving might mean you are having to sacrifice. It might mean a loss, you having to do without, or you ending up poor. But, as you can see, that isn’t what this Scripture says. It is saying that if you will give, it will start a mighty flow of the blessings of God in your life. Some people, who really consider themselves humble and very spiritual, will tell you that they don’t give to get. But, the only way you can keep giving is to keep getting; that’s the way a river works.

For with the measure you use: What would keep you from being willing to give generously? Would it be a fear that you would give it and this Biblical principle wouldn’t work? Would it be because you feel you need it a lot more than someone else needs it? Or, would it be that you are a lake and won’t give anything that comes your way? If it pours into your life, it stays in your life.

For with the measure you use, is encouraging generosity and quality giving. If you give a little bit when you have a lot, then you are measuring out a little and will get a little. If you are measuring out cheep, useless, damaged gifts, then that is what you will get back. And, that will leave you with less and less of the resources of God to be blessed and to bless others with.

For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you: If you really get generous, as time goes on, you will have MUCH more to give than if you just gave a little at a time. But, it takes a real faith and trust in this truth of God. You will need to BELIEVE that God is telling the truth here.