God’s Promise to the Generous and Humble

 [God’s Promise to the Generous and Humble]( Current Teaching Series [Building a Better Future]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [God’s Promise to the Generous and Humble]( By Rick Warren — 12/01/2022 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= “Happy is the person who honors the Lord . . . He gives generously to the needy, and his kindness never fails; he will be . . . respected.” Psalm 112:1, 9 (GNT) What does God promise to those who do everything in life with humility and generosity? They will be respected. The Bible says, “Happy is the person who honors the Lord . . . He gives generously to the needy, and his kindness never fails; he will be . . . respected” (Psalm 112:1, 9 GNT). Nehemiah lived a life of generosity and humility—and he was respected because of it. Nehemiah 5 records Nehemiah’s personal testimony of humility: “During all the twelve years that I was governor of the land of Judah . . . neither my relatives nor I ate the food I was entitled to have as governor. Every governor who had been in office before me had been a burden to the people and had demanded forty silver coins a day for food and wine. Even their servants had oppressed the people. But I acted differently, because I honored God” (Nehemiah 5:14-15 GNT). Notice that Nehemiah rejected a sense of entitlement as governor. Though he was entitled to certain privileges, he chose not to demand them. He refused all the perks of his office that the previous governors had expected. Nehemiah acted humbly and put the needs of the people ahead of his own. Nehemiah 5 also offers Nehemiah’s personal testimony of generosity: “I put all my energy into rebuilding the wall and did not acquire any property . . . I regularly fed at my table a hundred and fifty of the Jewish people and their leaders, besides all the people who came to me from the surrounding nations . . .  I knew what heavy burdens the people had to bear, and so I did not claim the allowance that the governor is entitled to” (Nehemiah 5:16-18 GNT). Nehemiah wasn’t just humble; he was hospitable and had a generous spirit. He personally paid for the many costs of his leadership position. He even fed his whole team regularly, paying for it all himself. Of course, being generous doesn’t necessarily mean you have to regularly feed 150 people. But Nehemiah did what he could with what God had given him to relieve the burdens of others. If you want to be respected, start with humility and generosity. Refuse to have a sense of entitlement and don’t be demanding. In Christ, you can choose to give up your own rights so that you can serve him while defending the rights of others. [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - What do humility and generosity have in common? - What leaders today make demands of people? What leaders are kind and generous? Do you see different results of their leadership styles? - In what areas do you struggle to lay down your rights in order to put the needs of others ahead of your own? What do you sense God is telling you to do about this? The post [God’s Promise to the Generous and Humble]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= [Get the brand-new 2022 Daily Hope Prayer Journal when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( Make prayer time the best time of your day with the brand-new 2022 Daily Hope Prayer Journal! This easy-to-carry hardback journal with a soft-touch cover gives you the tools you need to establish a consistent daily prayer time. It’ll help you connect with the Lord and enjoy a vibrant prayer life as you unlock the keys to praying with passion and purpose. Inside you’ll find 235 beautifully designed pages filled with: • Practical encouragement for your prayer life from Pastor Rick • Sections that guide you to pray for specific people and situations • Space for writing out what God is showing you • Encouraging Bible verses • Gorgeous artwork and inspiring photos Dive into this year’s theme, "Connecting with Jesus: The Source of Living Water," and tap into God’s power and presence as you’re reminded how much God loves you and wants to be an active part of your life. [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 6 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series Building a Better Future. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: Making a Plan to Improve Your Life Message 2: Enlisting Support for Your Dream Message 3: Getting People to Work Together Message 4: How to Handle Insults and Ridicule Message 5: When You Feel Like Giving Up Message 6: How to Earn the Respect of Others [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( As the founding pastor of Saddleback Church with his wife Kay, Dr. Rick Warren leads a 30,000-member congregation in California with campuses in major cities around the world. As an author, his book [The Purpose Driven Life]( is one of the best-selling nonfiction books in publishing history. It has been translated into 74 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. 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