Our human nature is wired to receive much and give little. But by the grace of God, I come to awaken you to a lifestyle of giving.
Jan Grace said, "Everyone can experience the joy and blessing of generosity because everyone has something to give.”
This is to say, no matter how small it may seem, you have something in you, you have something you carry, you have something in your hands that you can give. Every giver is a replica of God because God is a giver. He is the first person who gave and showed us the technology of giving. He didn't just give anything but himself. He taught us the power and the blessedness of giving.
God created the star, moon, and the sun, and they give us light; He created the sea, and it gives life to the fish; God created animals, and they give us meat, etc., so we can see that everything God created has the ability to give out something. This tells us that giving is "living". If you're living, then you're to give.
“John replied, "No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven”
Everything we have was given to us by God, and God sometimes demands it. He does it to see whether we can give back what He gave us. The people of Israel were slaves for 430 years in the land of Egypt. Egypt used God's people to build its empire, but a day came, and it was the payday for the people of Israel. God stripped Egypt of their gold and gave it to the Israelites. God had a plan for doing this.
“Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering”
God gave the Israelites the gold of the land of Egypt because it would be needed for the building of the tabernacle, but these Israelites used some of the gold for the building of the golden calf instead. Abuse is inevitable when purpose is not known. Don't abuse what God has given you to be a blessing to others. Everything God demands from you, He has already provided, but He demands it to know the position of your heart.
Child of God, know that God always gives you seed to sow and bread to eat. Make sure you don't eat your seeds when you're supposed to sow them because you'll need them in some days to come. Men are like soil (man was made from the dust of the ground, Gen 2:7)
“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”
, and so when you sow into men they can grow, and you'll eat the fruits thereof.
“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”
Here, Scripture uses certain laws of life to teach us something. What Scripture is saying is that, so far as we're on earth, nothing can stop these things from happening. If there's seed time, then definitely there has to be harvest time. It means, when you give or sow, nothing can stop your harvest; you just need to give time sometime and you'll see your harvest. Don't let anybody preach you out of giving because there's a reward when you give. The hand that gives cannot be empty.
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
Apostle Paul was thanking God for the Philippian church because they gave, and he prayed for them that "his God shall supply all their needs according to His riches in glory". People always quote this scripture when they need something from God, and it's not bad, but it was a prayer Paul prayed for givers. The Lord supplies the needs of givers, not just Christians.
“In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!” 39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.”
An interesting story happened here: Dorcas died, and the disciples and widows sent for Peter to come and raise her from the dead. These widows buried their husbands, but they wouldn't bury a giver; they just couldn't accept that a giver was dead. The believers buried other people but didn't want to bury a giver. Not only does God cherish a giver, but men also do, and their reward isn't only in heaven but also on earth. They called for Peter to pray a giver back to life. When you're a giver, you've people that are ever ready to intercede and lay down their lives for you. When you're stingy ... continue with it.
John Wesley said, "Do you not know that God entrusted you with that money (all above what buys necessities for your families) to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to help the stranger, the widow, the fatherless; and, indeed, as far as it will go, to relieve the wants of all mankind? How can you, how dare you, defraud the Lord by applying it to any other purpose?
Necessity is laid on us to give because we're to live for others and not ourselves. If Jesus gave His life for us, then we're to do the same by living for others.
“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.”
This scripture teaches us that if we want to see abundance, then giving is inevitable. In the "LORD'S PRAYER," we learn that one thing prayer does for us is to give us our daily bread, but if you want to see pressed down and running over, or abundance, then that's gained by giving.
“Cornelius stared hard, wondering if he was seeing things. Then he said, “What do you want, sir?” The angel said, “Your prayers and neighborly acts have brought you to God’s attention.”
This means that by his prayer and giving, Cornelius caught the attention of God. Sometimes what prayer can do, giving can also do, and even more. You've prayed for a long time, but sometimes add giving to it, and a memorial will be raised in heaven for your sake. In other words, your giving is like a point of contact in heaven for you; God sees it, and He remembers you. When God remembers you, the next thing He does is to visit you.
WHY SHOULD WE GIVE
1. There's a reward
“I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.”
- Givers never lack
“Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed.”
- There are blessings in giving.
“Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor.”
- You receive the visitation of God.
“Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly.”
CONCLUSION
You don't give to do God a favour, but you give because it's part of your kingdom responsibilities.
“Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.”
When you sow or give, you bury the problem and resurrect your solution; this is the mystery behind sowing in tears and reaping in joy.
Apostle Paul used how the church of Macedonia gave to exhort the Corinthian church and he said this in
“Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.”
This is because giving sacrificially always ushers people into the treasury room of God, and in the treasury room of God, you don't just have things but God Himself.
Billy Graham said, "God has given us two hands, one to receive with and the other to give with". May you not use just one hand in life but commit yourself to using both hands.
PRAYER: I make a prayer for you that your hands will be expanded as you give. I pray that your hands will be hands that give. I pray that the Lord pushes you into the life of abundance as you make up your mind to give willingly in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Dennis Nemi
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