You can't out give God!!!
Two sections of today's Bible reading have to do with giving. In 2 Kings 12 Joash became King of Judah and ordered the repair of the temple. The priests were to receive money from the treasurers to repair the damage to the temple. After 23 years they still had not repaired the temple so Joash ordered them to stop taking money from the treasurers and hire workmen to do the work.
Jehoiada, the priest, took a chest, made a hole in the top and placed it in the temple. As money was brought into the temple it was placed in the chest and when there was enough, workers were hired to do the work. It seems this was a free-will offering, honor system, and while for 23 years nothing had been done, now the work of repair was done and the workers were paid with the money that was brought in.
In 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, Paul uses the Macedonian churches as an example to the churches in Corinth regarding giving. They had given out of their poverty and in fact had plead for the privilege of sharing. Paul urges the Corinthians to "excel in the grace of giving."
In 2 Corinthians 9:8 Paul says that "God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." In other words, God will supply your needs so that you are able to give. He goes on to say that God will increase your store of seed; not to hoard, but to give out of your abundance. "You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion." Verse 11. The purpose of God's financial blessing upon our lives is so we are able to give generously to bless others. Giving not only supplies the needs of God's people but brings praise to the Lord. Verse 12.
My husband and I have been faithful through the years to give a tithe to the Lord (10% or more) of what he blessed us with. In turn, we have been on the receiving end of God's provision. In 1970 the Lord led us to go to Holland to minister with Dutch-Indonesian people. We knew God was leading us, so we went with very little financial provision. We had $200 in our pockets when we arrived in Holland with a family of four and the promise of $50 per month as support. During the four years we were there we never lacked for anything. When finances would get low, the Lord miraculously provided. He even provided over and above our needs. We were blessed with a trip to Spain for five weeks Granted, it was not a luxurious vacation; we camped all the way there and back, but had a small apartment to stay in while we were in Alicante, Spain. We became friends with an unsaved Dutchman and he fumed about the little that we lived on. One day he was voicing his disapproval, and I told him there were thousands of Americans who would give their eye teeth to do the things we were doing, traveling and seeing Europe. We were there to serve the Lord but he in turn was blessing us, supplying all our needs and more.
My husband and oldest son were in a car accident a few months after we arrived in Holland and the car we had purchased was totaled. Our ability to minister was really hampered and we had no idea how we would get another car and pay for the wrecked one too. But God placed faith in our hearts and I felt sure we would have one within a few months. I mentioned this to a young lady and she burst out, "Oh, you Pentecostal people; you all talk the same way!!" But the Lord did supply us with a car. People that we had never even met gave towards our need.
You cannot out give God. As he blesses you with financial provision, be faithful to give generously and the Lord in turn will give back. "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.
Tomorrows Bible Reading - 2 Kings 12, Ezekiel 3, 2 Corinthians 10-11
God is good all the time,
1 comment:
Thanks Naomi, this is something the Lord has been challenging us in. We want to cultivate this lifestyle, not just every now and then. We always give our tithe, but have lost the joy of our giving over time. We are convicted to get that joy back and go above and beyond that minimum sacrifice.
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