Overflowing: Can you take Him at His word?

“Give, and you will receive gifts — the full measure, compacted, shaken together and overflowing, will be put right in your lap. For the measure with which you measure out will be used to measure back to you!”

—Luke 6:38

I was a single mom, trying to support three kids on my own. Their father was in prison, and I received no child support. I barely made ends meet. How could I afford Christmas gifts?

Early in my faith, I learned the practice of tithing. I studied the Scriptures on tithing and decided to take God at His Word.

“Bring the entire tithe into the storehouse so that there may be food in my temple. Test me in this matter,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “to see if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out blessing for you until there is no room for it all” (Malachi 3:10).

Even when I couldn’t afford to give, I gave. My check to my church was the first one I wrote on payday. I saw God come through for me time and time again. I remember one incident when I needed $40.00 to pay a bill, but I didn’t have anything in my bank account. When I picked up my mail, there was a card from my mother-in-law with a note, “I felt I should send you this.” Tucked inside was a check for $40.00.

If God could do this, He could make a way for Christmas presents for my kids. Even though I didn’t have a nickel to buy anything, I had to trust Him.

The days grew closer to Christmas, and I still didn’t have any gifts to wrap. I had never asked for help from a charity, but I decided to humble myself and do it. I applied for a few gifts from a local organization. Later I received a phone call from a different charity, Angel Tree, a program of Prison Fellowship that reaches out with gifts for children of prisoners. A family had adopted my children for Christmas and would soon be dropping off gifts.

Thank You, Lord. At least my kids will have a few gifts under the tree.

“Go buy the kids some presents for Christmas,” my mother said and handed me a check for a large sum.

I was overwhelmed.

Then I picked up the mail and opened an envelope from my in-laws. I gasped when I saw a check made out in the same amount as the one from my parents.

I opened another piece of mail. My eyes grew wide at the contents. A third check in the same amount, this time from my in-laws’ church.

Wow! God, I knew You’d come through! But I didn’t imagine all this.

After church on Sunday, my pastor handed me an envelope on my way out. I opened it as soon as I got in the car. Another check.

And then another came from a relative. Now I had to laugh.

The day before Christmas Eve I got a call from the kids’ day care provider. “Could you stop by? I have a few gifts for the kids.”

When I arrived, she confessed, “I organized a toy drive among the other day care parents.”

“What!”

She led me to an enormous box of wrapped gifts. “There’s more. We also collected food for your family.”

I was truly humbled, my heart bursting with gratitude, tears overflowing.

Christmas morning came, and my eyes scanned the living room filled with presents. Under the tree, on the floor, the couch, the chair. Not an open space anywhere. We had to pick up a few presents to make room on the floor. We sat down and placed those gifts in our lap. As I looked around at the incredible scene, gifts surrounding me on every side, I was reminded of the promises of God, “See if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out blessing for you until there is no room for it all” (Malachi 3:10).

“Give, and you will receive gifts — the full measure, compacted, shaken together and overflowing, will be put right in your lap” (Luke 6:38).

Yes, Lord, I see! You have done, just as You said.

As the kids tore into the gifts, I heard squeals of delight. When they opened those from the day care, I heard, “This is just what I wanted!”

How could those parents have known?

But I knew the answer. The same God who knew we needed a Savior knows just what we want and delights in lavishing His children with good gifts.

Lord, You are a God who keeps promises. I know that full well. My heart is filled to overflowing.