The Principle of Giving
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He gave us the earth. He breathed into us. He gave us life. He gave us Eden. He gave us everything.
Gen 2:8 "Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food"
His giving actually started from the story of creation.
Now here is the principle of Giving.
Luke 6:38 "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over [with no space left for more]. For with the standard of measurement you use [when you do good to others], it will be measured to you in return.”
God laid a foundation for us. God will not tell you to do something which he does not or can not do. You see when God wanted a son (us), what did He do , He gave a son ( Jesus).
John 3: 16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Why did He do so? Because when you give, you receive.
A lot of people are tight-fisted, because they think if they leave what they have , they'll not have another. That's the opposite of it. God tells us, "Give and you will receive". God cannot lie.
The widow of Zarephath is a perfect example.
She said: 1 king 17: 2 "As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die."
God said: 1 king 17: 14 "For this is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted nor shall the jar of oil be empty until the day that the Lord sends rain [again] on the face of the earth.’”
And she obeyed. And this happened:
1 King 17: 15 "And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. 16And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah."
WHOSE WORD CAME TO PASS?
Give and it will be given to you. God cannot lie. But remember "WITH THE SAME STANDARD OF MEASUREMENT YOU USE, it will be measured to you in return".
Paul gives us more insight 2 Cor 9: 6 "Now [remember] this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to others] will also reap generously [and be blessed].
7 Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift].
8 And God is able to make all grace [every favor and earthly blessing] come in abundance to you, so that you may always [under all circumstances, regardless of the need] have complete sufficiency in everything [being completely self-sufficient in Him], and have an abundance for every good work and act of charity."
God is the Giver.
God gives you in abundance, so that you can have money to do every good work and act of charity. Wherever you are, you should be a blessing to others. I asked God to make me prosperous once and He told me "why will I bless you with the gifts of heaven and you'll then use it for the purpose of hell"
The primary reason God blesses us is to be a blessing to others. I might not have used that money then to do something "bad" like you would say. But as I was not going to be using it to further God's kingdom on earth, and do good for my fellow-man then I was using it for the purposes of hell (selfish purposes). Plus I didn't even have an agenda (purpose) for the money.
What does God count as good?
Remember what He told the rich young man Luke 18: 22 "When Jesus heard this, He said to him,“You still lack one thing; sell everything that you have and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have [abundant]treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me[becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me and walking the same path of life that I walk].”
Giving to people who cannot give you back; the poor, your enemies, the needy, the widows. Giving to the cause of His kingdom.
He told the rich man who invited him to his house for dinner:
Luke 14: 12 “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or wealthy neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. 13 But when you give a banquet or a reception, invite the poor, the disabled, the lame, and the blind,14 and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous (the just, the upright).”
Mark 5:44 “But I say to you,love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may [show yourselves to] be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him]. 46 For if you love [only]those who love you, what reward do you have?"
Pro 25: 21 "If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;22 For in doing so, you will heap coals of fire upon his head,
And the Lord will reward you."
Be kind to others. Give and God will give you in return.
You are a custodian of this earthly wealth and if you're not faithful with it, how can He trust you with His heavenly wealth?
Grace
©Life and Love World Devotional
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