“From the Hart” Devotional for April 4, 2024

“Pressed Down, Shaken Together and Running Over”
by Julie Hart, Director of Connectional Ministries

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.
Luke 6:38

I recently took some kiddos in my life out for frozen yogurt for a special treat because they had all shown improvement in areas of their life, and I wanted to reward their efforts. Like most frozen yogurt shops, this one was self-serve. You are given a cup at the front of the line to fill, and you pay at the end of the line, based on the weight. “How much can we have?”, they asked. “As much as you can fit in the cup”, I replied. With that, the kids eagerly went down the line making their choices, starting with what flavors of yogurt they wanted. They came up with some interesting combinations. I went with dulce de leche, vanilla bean, and salted caramel.

Once I had filled my cup with yogurt, I waited at the end of the line for the rest of them to “weigh in” so I could pay. As I was talking to the cashier, I kept hearing a “tap, tap, tap” behind me. When I looked back to see what the noise was, I saw all three kids tapping their cups on the counter to make room for even more yogurt. They all had pretty heaping cups when they tapped a few more times to free up space for toppings: chocolate chips, gummy worms, brownie bites, cookies, marshmallows…you name it. Again, they piled and tapped and then piled some more. Once they had finished adding their toppings, they tapped one last time and squeezed caramel and chocolate syrup on top. They looked quite pleased about how much they had managed to cram into their cups as I handed out the spoons.

The other day I was reading the book of Luke, and I came across the words:
“pressed down, shaken together and running over.” This caught my attention because I could picture it in my mind — the pressing, the shaking, the overflowing. It made me think about recent frozen yogurt adventure and how, just like I wanted to reward the kids for their efforts, Jesus wants to reward us for ours. The kids had all worked hard (either at school, with behavior, or service to others) and now their reward could barely be contained in their cups.

I have noticed that when I am generous with my time and resources, I receive overflowing blessings in return. What about you?
Where are you giving generously?
What abundant blessings have come back to you?

In the book of Luke, Jesus is teaching his followers how they should treat others.
Have you noticed that you often receive the same treatment that you give to others, whether good or bad?

Jesus talks about not judging but forgiving, loving, and blessing others instead.
How do you feel when you judge others?
How does that compare to how you feel when you bless others?

Jesus says that what we give we will receive, plus a whole lot more. The end of Luke 6:38 says “For the measure you use, it will be measured to you” In other words, what we expect of others, God too will expect from us. What we give to others, God too will give to us.
Where in your life do you see evidence of this?

Prayer:
Dear generous and loving God.
Your blessings are so great that they pour out into my lap. When I put others before myself, you bless me even more. When I sacrifice my own comforts or suppress my own desires, your generosity spills into all areas of my life. Thank you for making space in my life for blessing upon blessing and joy after joy. Help me to give of myself in the measure that you have given to me. Amen.