God’s Multiplication (07/07/2026)

Last night, eight other women and I gathered at my home for dinner followed by scripture study. We set the table and spread the food as we chatted in different circles, then we sat down, and prayed to the LORD to join us and guide us as we ate and talked and to be with us when we opened His Word. And as providence would have it, we were going to be covering one of my favorite lines in scripture: “For I long to see you, that I may share with you some spiritual gift so that you may be strengthened, that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by one another’s faith, yours and mine” (Romans 1: 11-12).

The LORD’s math is different than ours, and I have always marveled at how well His works. In the LORD’s sphere, sharing doesn’t deplete our supplies, it multiplies it. That is one of the reasons I so love scripture study with others; I have found that when we mutually encourage one another in our faith journeys by sharing our own, there is more all around. That is reason number 8 that I love scripture study.

Seriously, as we read the text and discuss it and break open the words and their meaning to us and the ways we’ve seen it to be true in our own lives, we are encouraged on our journeys. And when we speak of our love for our LORD, it doesn’t diminish the supply, in fact, it does just the opposite, it increases it and intensifies its depth.  Our love for the LORD was never meant to be contained within us exclusively – it is by nature contagious.

I am saddened by the way modern times and values have suppressed the expressions of faith in the world, in the moments of the day, in the exchanges between us. If our faith is truly the source of our joy and purpose, it has to be shared in the context of living out that purpose. When we say, “God bless you,” God does and not just in the direction of the one listening but also within the one who utters the prayer. When we promise to pray for another, our faith expressed speaks more loudly than we realize. And when we use our lives and not just our words to share our faith, others notice and good follows.

As we continue our journeys of faith, let us mutually encourage one another in our faith, you and I, sharing our faith and strengthened in that sharing.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.