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The Daily Devotional by Vince Miller - Generosity Is the Smartest Investment | Ecclesiastes 11:2

Generosity Is the Smartest Investment | Ecclesiastes 11:2

04/21/25 • 2 min

The Daily Devotional by Vince Miller

Welcome to The Daily, where we go through the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every single day.

We are approaching the end of Ecclesiastes, and the Gospel of Mark is next. Go to the website and grab the Scriptural Journal for this study so you can study along with us. If you are a donor who gives $35/month or more, you will receive one of these for free each time we begin a new study, as long as we have your current mailing address. You also get a few more benefits by becoming a monthly or annual donor, like video access to the website, and you can see all those benefits at the link in the description today. Either way, get your Scripture Journal now so you can take notes and follow along.

Today, we’re looking at Ecclesiastes 11:2:

Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth. — Ecclesiastes 11:2

Solomon chases his advice about "casting bread on the waters" with another counterintuitive command: "Give to seven, or even to eight." In modern language, this would sound like: "Be generous... even unreasonably generous."

And why?

Because you don’t know what lies ahead. Life is unpredictable. He isn’t teaching us to be reckless—he’s calling us to prepare, but not in the way the world does. Instead of hoarding in fear, he encourages open-handed generosity and faithful investment in others.

This is spiritual wisdom. Because in God’s economy, giving is strategic trust. Instead of stockpiling security, we spread strategically what we have—in time, in service, in generosity—knowing that ultimately, God is our provision and protection.

Friends you can’t control tomorrow. But you can decide to live today with faith, releasing your grip on what you think keeps you safe and placing your confidence in the One who holds every outcome.

#FaithOverFear, #RadicalGenerosity, #EcclesiastesWisdom

ASK THIS:
  1. How does uncertainty about the future affect your generosity?
  2. What’s one area of your life where you’re stockpiling instead of trusting God?
  3. Who in your life needs your open-handed investment today?
  4. What does “strategic trust” look like in your daily decisions?
DO THIS:

Live generously today—find one person or place to give to without expecting anything in return.

PRAY THIS:

Father, help me release my grip on what I think keeps me safe. Teach me to trust You by giving generously and living faithfully today. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

Generous Giver.

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Welcome to The Daily, where we go through the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every single day.

We are approaching the end of Ecclesiastes, and the Gospel of Mark is next. Go to the website and grab the Scriptural Journal for this study so you can study along with us. If you are a donor who gives $35/month or more, you will receive one of these for free each time we begin a new study, as long as we have your current mailing address. You also get a few more benefits by becoming a monthly or annual donor, like video access to the website, and you can see all those benefits at the link in the description today. Either way, get your Scripture Journal now so you can take notes and follow along.

Today, we’re looking at Ecclesiastes 11:2:

Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth. — Ecclesiastes 11:2

Solomon chases his advice about "casting bread on the waters" with another counterintuitive command: "Give to seven, or even to eight." In modern language, this would sound like: "Be generous... even unreasonably generous."

And why?

Because you don’t know what lies ahead. Life is unpredictable. He isn’t teaching us to be reckless—he’s calling us to prepare, but not in the way the world does. Instead of hoarding in fear, he encourages open-handed generosity and faithful investment in others.

This is spiritual wisdom. Because in God’s economy, giving is strategic trust. Instead of stockpiling security, we spread strategically what we have—in time, in service, in generosity—knowing that ultimately, God is our provision and protection.

Friends you can’t control tomorrow. But you can decide to live today with faith, releasing your grip on what you think keeps you safe and placing your confidence in the One who holds every outcome.

#FaithOverFear, #RadicalGenerosity, #EcclesiastesWisdom

ASK THIS:
  1. How does uncertainty about the future affect your generosity?
  2. What’s one area of your life where you’re stockpiling instead of trusting God?
  3. Who in your life needs your open-handed investment today?
  4. What does “strategic trust” look like in your daily decisions?
DO THIS:

Live generously today—find one person or place to give to without expecting anything in return.

PRAY THIS:

Father, help me release my grip on what I think keeps me safe. Teach me to trust You by giving generously and living faithfully today. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

Generous Giver.

Previous Episode

undefined - Trusting God When Results Don’t Come Fast | Ecclesiastes 11:1

Trusting God When Results Don’t Come Fast | Ecclesiastes 11:1

Welcome to The Daily, where we go through the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every single day.

We are approaching the end of Ecclesiastes, and the Gospel of Mark is next. Go to the website and grab the Scriptural Journal for this study so you can study along with us. If you are a donor who gives $35/month or more, you will receive one of these for free each time we begin a new study, as long as we have your current mailing address. You also get a few more benefits by becoming a monthly or annual donor, like video access to the website, and you can see all those benefits at the link in the description today. Either way, get your Scripture Journal now so you can take notes and follow along.

Today, we’re looking at Ecclesiastes 11:1:

Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. — Ecclesiastes 11:1

Have you ever taken a step—offered help, shared an idea, given generously—and then wondered if it would make any difference at all?

That’s the tension Solomon speaks to in Ecclesiastes 11:1. He paints a picture of casting bread on the water—an act that seems uncertain, even pointless at first. You release something valuable. Then you wait, not knowing what will come of it. But this isn't just about risk. It's about faith.

Solomon, a man who had everything—wealth, wisdom, power—spent much of this book wrestling with the fleeting nature of life. Again and again, he describes it as "vanity."

Yet, here in chapter 11, his tone shifts. He invites us to take action. To invest. To live in such a way that trusts God with the unseen return. Because even when life feels unpredictable, obedience is never wasted.

“Casting bread on water” might sound odd to us, but in Solomon’s day, it probably referred to shipping grain across the sea. You send it off not knowing when—or if—it’ll come back. But if it does? There’s a reward.

It’s an act of faithful obedience in the face of uncertainty.

This verse hits two modern nerves:

We crave control—we want to manage the outcome. We demand results—and fast.

Solomon reminds us that the outcome won’t be immediate. You may not see results for “many days.” In fact, they may not come in the way you imagined. But with God, no act of obedience is ever wasted.

This is how the Kingdom of God works.

We sow in faith—He brings the harvest.

You might invest in someone who seems slow to grow. You might love your family faithfully without receiving much in return. You might give generously when it feels like there’s not much to spare.

And yet, God sees it all. He honors every unseen sacrifice. And in His perfect timing, He produces fruit that lasts.

But in God’s timing, the return comes. Galatians 6:9 says clearly: “In due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

What do you need to throw out there today?

A conversation you’ve been avoiding? A step of faith that feels risky? A gift that costs something? A new habit of discipline or devotion?

Stop waiting for perfection. Stop trying to predict the outcome. Throw it out there.

If God’s calling you to it, do it. He’ll take care of the return.

#FaithOverFear, #Ecclesiastes11, #ObedienceMatters

ASK THIS:
  1. What have you been hesitant to release to God?
  2. Where are you demanding fast results instead of trusting God's timing?
  3. What step of faith feels risky but necessary?
  4. How can you practice obedience even when outcomes are unseen?
DO THIS:

Take one act of obedient faith today, even if you don’t see immediate results.

PRAY THIS:

Father, help me to obey without needing to see the results right away. I trust You to bring the harvest in Your perfect time. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

Faithful.

Next Episode

undefined - Stop Overthinking It | Ecclesiastes 11:3–4

Stop Overthinking It | Ecclesiastes 11:3–4

Welcome to The Daily, where we go through the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every single day.

I want to give a shout-out to Don and Jami Mahr from Minnesota. Thanks for listening as a couple to these daily devotionals, and thanks for sharing them with others, too.

Today, we’re looking at Ecclesiastes 11:3-4:

If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie. He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. — Ecclesiastes 11:3-4

Some people spend their lives watching the skies—waiting for the wind to settle, waiting for the perfect moment. And you know what happens? Nothing. They never plant. They never build. They never lead. They just watch. Not because they lack passion—but because they’re stuck in their heads.

Solomon presents two earthy illustrations. When clouds are full, they pour rain. It’s what clouds do. When a tree falls, that’s where it stays. You can’t change it. You just accept it. These are natural, inevitable events—beyond our control.

Then he turns to the farmer—the one who fixates on the wind, the one who hesitates to sow seed because they’re waiting for the perfect conditions. But life doesn’t work that way. The world is broken. The wind blows. Trees fall. Rain comes and goes. If you’re always waiting for perfection, you’ll never act.

This is a warning for the overthinker. The perfectionist. The one who masks fear with analysis and delay. There’s a difference between wisdom and paralysis. And too often, we hide behind the excuse of "waiting on God." But sometimes, we’re not waiting on Him—we’re just afraid to obey.

Solomon isn’t saying we shouldn’t use wisdom. He’s saying: stop using caution as a cover for fear. Don’t let your craving for control keep you from faith-filled action. When Jesus called Peter out of the boat, Peter stepped. He didn’t wait for the waves to settle.

Stop trying to read the wind. Stop waiting for the skies to clear. Start doing what you already know is right. Share the gospel. Have the hard conversation. Launch the thing. Say yes to the calling. The perfect moment rarely comes. But obedience belongs to this moment—right now.

So what do you need to do?

#FaithOverFear #ObedienceNow #Don’tWaitJustGo

ASK THIS:
  1. What step of faith have you been delaying out of fear or overthinking?
  2. How have you confused caution with spiritual wisdom?
  3. What natural “conditions” are you waiting on that might never change?
  4. What truth from God’s Word do you already know, but haven't acted on?
DO THIS:

Take one bold, faithful step today in the direction God’s already revealed—don’t wait for perfect conditions.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, help me stop waiting for ideal conditions and start obeying You with faith and courage. I trust that You’ve already gone ahead of me. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

Obey.

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