Faithful Giving

THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp

Wednesday April 23, 2008

Luke 6:38 (NIV)
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.

2 Corinthians 9:6 (NIV)
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

According to the Bible, you will reap according to how generously you have sown.

Notice that it's not the AMOUNT you sow, but how GENEROUS you are! If you don't HAVE a ton of money to sow, you can sow what you are able to, and you'd be as generous as the guy who has a ton of money and sows more than you do!

But God is not trying to FORCE anyone to give more than they are comfortable giving:

2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

God wants us to give cheerfully! And the result is that He will provide for us:

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV)
And 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.

But the blessing of giving goes beyond even that!

2 Corinthians 9:10,11 (NIV)
10. Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

If we become "givers", and God knows that we will give generously when we have something to give, He will MAKE US RICH IN EVERY WAY!

Did you ever wonder where the "prosperity" message came from? It actually came out of a Bible Truth! God DID promise to make us RICH - in EVERY WAY (That would INCLUDE financially!) if we are faithful to give!

The whole reason God would want to make us rich is that we would do what HE wants us to do with the riches we have! Many people would just spend what they have on themselves if they were rich. God is looking for GIVERS, who will finance the end-time harvest of souls being saved, and who will feed the hungry and shelter the homeless!

If we will be faithful in giving, we know that God will not treat one of us better than another; He will ALWAYS BLESS the giver!

Acts 10:34 (NIV)
Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism"

God's nature is to NOT SHOW FAVORITISM! That means if you're a giver, God WILL bless you! He NEEDS "givers" in order to accomplish His work on the earth! Let's join with Him, and be in agreement with God, by giving to ministries that feed the poor, help those in need, and most importantly, preach the Gospel to the world!

PRAYER
Thank You Father for Your Word. Thank You for the blessings in Your Word that I can receive, that will not only bless ME, but bless others, and even YOU! Help me understand Your Word so I can let Your ways govern my life.
In Jesus' Name, Amen

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