Mishingo 20 - KBTP & GNTD

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.

Giving is a powerful act that reflects the heart of God and His desire for us to live generously. Throughout the Bible, we find numerous teachings that emphasize the importance and impact of giving. Whether it’s through offering our time, resources, or love, the act of giving not only blesses others but also enriches our own lives. Here are seven Bible verses that highlight the power of giving and encourage us to embrace a life of generosity.

1. Acts 20:35 “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

When we give to others, especially those in need, we are not only helping them but also experiencing the joy and fulfillment that comes from generosity. It reminds us that true happiness is found in selflessness.

2. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

The emphasis on giving cheerfully reminds us that our attitude matters. God values a heart that gives freely and joyfully, knowing that our contributions can lead to abundant blessings.

3. Proverbs 11:25 “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

Generosity is not just about meeting the needs of others; it also brings personal renewal and prosperity. When we give, we often receive in return, not necessarily in material wealth, but in spiritual and emotional well-being. The act of giving refreshes both the giver and the recipient.

4. Luke 6:38 “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.”

Jesus emphasizes the abundance that comes from giving. The imagery of a generous measure being returned to us illustrates that our giving will not go unnoticed or unrewarded. When we give with an open heart, we can expect God’s blessings to overflow in our lives.

5. Matthew 6:3-4 “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

We should give quietly and humbly, without seeking recognition or praise. The focus is on the sincerity and purity of our giving. God sees our acts of kindness, even when they are done in secret, and He will reward us accordingly. It reminds us that true giving is done for the benefit of others, not for personal glory.

6. Hebrews 13:16 “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

Sharing what we have with others is a sacrifice that pleases God. This verse highlights the importance of being mindful of others’ needs and taking action to meet them. It serves as a reminder that our acts of generosity are not just good deeds; they are expressions of our faith and love for God.

7. James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

All we have comes from God. Recognizing that every gift we receive is from Him encourages us to be generous in sharing those gifts with others. When we give, we are participating in God’s work, distributing His blessings to those around us.

Conclusion

The Bible teaches that giving is a powerful way to express our faith, love, and gratitude. These verses reveal that generosity not only impacts those we help but also enriches our own lives, bringing us closer to God and His purposes. Whether through our resources, time, or compassion, giving allows us to reflect God’s love in a tangible way, creating a ripple effect of blessings that extend far beyond what we can see. By embracing a spirit of generosity, we open ourselves up to experience the fullness of life that God desires for us.

Ku Makedoniya ne Giriki

1 Shule kwe zhoba yapela, Paulo kadana badiyiwa ngono kabawoneka nge matama ano kulumbidza. Ipapo kamilika kayenda ku Makedoniya. 2 Kapalama mituthu iyeyo, ngono kakulumbidza bathu nge matama manjinji. Ipapo kaswika ku Giriki. 3 Kapitsha mwedzi ili mitatu ikoko. Kukati Bajuta belangana nge kukwe, iye kabe abe pejo nge kuyenda nge ikepe ku Siriya akazwimisila kupinda nge Makedoniya. 4 Sopata we Bhereya ali nkololo wa Piro, kayenda naye; na Arisitako na Sekundo bedwa ku Tesalonika; na Gayo, edwa ku Debhe; Tikikasi na Tirofimo, bedwa ku ntuthu we Ezhiya na Timoti. 5 Bakayendila mbeli bakanotimilila mu Tiroasi. 6 Takayenda nge gungwa kudwa mu Filipi shule kwe Nshingo we tjiwunga tjisina mbidzo, ngono shule kwe mazhuba mashanu tikabhatana nabo mu Tiroasi, iko kwatakapitsha mazhuba ali kutendeka.

Kukumba kwe bupelo kwa Paulo ku Tiroasi

7 Ngono nge zhuba le kutanga mu tshipi madekwana tikakubunganila kukobana zojiwa. Paulo kalebeleka nge bathu ngono kadwilila kuswikila pakati kwe busiku, se akabe emuka eyenda. 8 Mavone manjinji akabe ethuta mu ng'umba ipezhugwi kwatakabe tashanganila. 9 Mmwe nzhuzha wakabe edang'wa Yutiko wakabe ali gele pa fesitere katshumwayila, shule kabhakhwa nge hwope Paulo atjakadwilila ngolebeleka nge bulefu, kakuligwa nge hwope ngono kawila pasi edwa ku ng'umba ye butatu pezhugwi. Bakati bennunga, kabe afa. 10 Koga Paulo kadeluka kakotama ngono kan'gumbatila. Kati, “Musidziyidzike unotjila!” 11 Paulo kati abgwilila pezhugwi, kapemula tjiwunga kaja, ngono kalebeleka nabo tjibaka tjilefu kudzina zhuba libhuda, ndizo kayenda. 12 Bakayenda ne nzhuzha kanyi etjila, ngono bakanyaladzika kwazo.

Kudwa ku Tiroasi kunoti Mileto

13 Takayendila mbeli ku ikepe ngono tikayenda nge gungwa ku Asosi, kwatakabe tinotathisa Paulo. Wakabe alongolosa sa ikoko, ngobe iye nge kukwe wakabe akazwimisila kuyenda nge makumbo. 14 Kati eshangana naswi mu Asosi tikantathisa ngono tikayenda ku Mitilene. 15 Tikayenda nge gungwa kudwa ipapo, ngono tikaswika kwakalingisana ne Kiyosi tjimuka. Shule kwe zhuba ling'ompela tikaswika ku Samosi, ngono tjimuka tikaswika ku Mileto. 16 Paulo wakabe akumbula kuyenda nge gungwa epinda nge mu Efeso, kuti asilashe tjibaka mu ntuthu we Ezhiya ngoti wakabe elibilidzila kube yapo mu Jerusalema nge zhuba le Pentekosite, ha kwakabe kutubuka.

Ndebeleko ye kuwoneka kwa Paulo ku bakulu be Efeso

17 Kudwa mu Mileto Paulo kayisa thumo ku Efeso, kudana bakulu be gubungano kuti bazhe kunli. 18 Bakati baswika kati ku bali, “Imwi nge kwenyu moziba sekwa ndakatjila pakati kwenyu kudwa mu zhuba le kutanga nditshamba mu Ezhiya. 19 Ndakashingila She nge kuzwiyisa pasi kose nenge mishodzi nenge ndiko dzakazha kundili nge milangano ye Bajuta. 20 Moziba kuti akuna tjandakasumbika tjakabe tjina bhatsho mu muli se ndakabe ndisumikila ndidiya patjena ne kudwa mu ng'umba ndiyenda kuyimwe. 21 Ndakalebeleka ne Bajuta ne Bezwitjaba ngekwe kushandukila ku Ndzimu nenge kugalamoyo muna She wedu Jesu. 22 Ngono ngwenu, mu kuhwa Meya, ndoyenda ku Jerusalema, ndisingazibe tjinowonondishingikalalila ikoko, 23 kuzhe kwe kuti Meya yakayengemala inolebeleka nami kuti mu nzi mmwe ne mmwe busungwa nenge kudziyidziwa zwakandilinda. 24 Koga anditotola butjilo gwangu guna themba kene gudika kundili, ndoshaka koga kuwidza thumo yangu ne kupedza nshingo She Jesu wabakandipa kuushinga. Iwo, kuleba ndebo mbuya ngekwe ngoni dze Ndzimu.

25 “Bonani ndoziba kuti imwi mose bandakayenda pakati kwenyu ndisumikila ngekwe bushe gwe Ndzimu amutjowobona tjiso tjangu. 26 Ndizo ndomubudza ndisimisa mu zhuba lino nditi, ha mmwe wenyu angalashika, andina nlandu. 27 Ngobe andizotongo sumbika kumubudza ngekwe kuda kose kwe Ndzimu. 28 Ndizo muzwilise, mulise pkhwizi dzose dzamakalisisiwa nge Meya yakayengemala, kutjengeta gubungano le Ndzimu, lawakathama nge malopa e Nkololo wawo. 29 Ndoziba kuti shule kwe ndayenda, phele dzinotjisa dzowozha pakati kwenyu, ngono adzitowotjidza pkhwizi. 30 Tjibaka tjowozha tjinowoti balume bamwe banodwa mu muli bakaleba manyepkhwa kupambusila bagalimoyo ku bali. 31 Ndizo, ibeni nge njele, mualakane kuti mu makole matatu, andizoletja kutjemela siku ne sikati mmwe ne mmwe wenyu ndilila.

Give to Bless, Not to Receive

Father, thank You for the reminder that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Help me to give selflessly, expecting nothing in return. Teach me to find joy in the act of blessing others and to reflect Your love in all I do. Amen.

7 Bible Verses About the Power of Giving

32 “Ngono ngwenu ndomuyisa mu kutjengeta kwe Ndzimu ne mu dama le ngoni dzawo, ilo linotubula kumubumba likamupa thaka Ndzimu yaunayo kupa bayengemadziwa bawo. 33 Andizotongo yemula siliva kene golide kene zwiambalo zwimwe. 34 Imwi nge kwenyu moziba kuti ndakashinga ndi iyawa maboko angu kuwana tjimwe ne tjimwe tjakabe tjishakwa nge bakwinya bangu kose nami. 35

Ndakamulakidza mu zwithu zose kuti ngoshinga kwazo mu zila iyeyi takafanilo bhatsha basakasima tikumbula matama akalebgwa ndi She Jesu eti, ‘Kupa kwakakombolegwa pana kupiwa!’ ”

36 Paulo kati epedza, kathigama pasi katembezela nabo bose. 37 Bakalila bose ben'gumbatila bemputa. 38 Bakabe bali mu buyendasi kwazo, ngobe wakabe ati abatjowombona kakale. Ndizo bakampeleka ku ikepe.

To Macedonia and Achaia

1 After the uproar died down, Paul called together the believers and with words of encouragement said good-bye to them. Then he left and went on to Macedonia. 2 He went through those regions and encouraged the people with many messages. Then he came to Achaia, 3 where he stayed three months. He was getting ready to go to Syria when he discovered that there were Jews plotting against him; so he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4 Sopater son of Pyrrhus, from Berea, went with him; so did Aristarchus and Secundus, from Thessalonica; Gaius, from Derbe; Tychicus and Trophimus, from the province of Asia; and Timothy. 5 They went ahead and waited for us in Troas. 6 We sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later we joined them in Troas, where we spent a week.

Paul's Last Visit to Troas

7 On Saturday evening we gathered together for the fellowship meal. Paul spoke to the people and kept on speaking until midnight, since he was going to leave the next day. 8 Many lamps were burning in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9 A young man named Eutychus was sitting in the window, and as Paul kept on talking, Eutychus got sleepier and sleepier, until he finally went sound asleep and fell from the third story to the ground. When they picked him up, he was dead. 10 But Paul went down and threw himself on him and hugged him. “Don't worry,” he said, “he is still alive!” 11 Then he went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. After talking with them for a long time, even until sunrise, Paul left. 12 They took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

From Troas to Miletus

13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed off to Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had told us to do this, because he was going there by land. 14 When he met us in Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 We sailed from there and arrived off Chios the next day. A day later we came to Samos, and the following day we reached Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail on by Ephesus, so as not to lose any time in the province of Asia. He was in a hurry to arrive in Jerusalem by the day of Pentecost, if at all possible.

Paul's Farewell Speech to the Elders of Ephesus

17 From Miletus Paul sent a message to Ephesus, asking the elders of the church to meet him. 18 When they arrived, he said to them, “You know how I spent the whole time I was with you, from the first day I arrived in the province of Asia. 19 With all humility and many tears I did my work as the Lord's servant during the hard times that came to me because of the plots of some Jews. 20 You know that I did not hold back anything that would be of help to you as I preached and taught in public and in your homes. 21 To Jews and Gentiles alike I gave solemn warning that they should turn from their sins to God and believe in our Lord Jesus. 22 And now, in obedience to the Holy Spirit I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit has warned me that prison and troubles wait for me. 24 But I reckon my own life to be worth nothing to me; I only want to complete my mission and finish the work that the Lord Jesus gave me to do, which is to declare the Good News about the grace of God.

25 “I have gone about among all of you, preaching the Kingdom of God. And now I know that none of you will ever see me again. 26 So I solemnly declare to you this very day: if any of you should be lost, I am not responsible. 27 For I have not held back from announcing to you the whole purpose of God. 28 So keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock which the Holy Spirit has placed in your care. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he made his own through the blood of his Son. 29 I know that after I leave, fierce wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock. 30 The time will come when some men from your own group will tell lies to lead the believers away after them. 31 Watch, then, and remember that with many tears, day and night, I taught every one of you for three years.

32 “And now I commend you to the care of God and to the message of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you the blessings God has for all his people. 33 I have not wanted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that I have worked with these hands of mine to provide everything that my companions and I have needed. 35 I have shown you in all things that by working hard in this way we must help the weak, remembering the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, ‘There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.’”

36 When Paul finished, he knelt down with them and prayed. 37 They were all crying as they hugged him and kissed him good-bye. 38 They were especially sad because he had said that they would never see him again. And so they went with him to the ship.