Christian Giving!

Sacrificial giving is an act of love to show God how important He is in our life. King David thought the ability to give by itself was a great blessing. David also realized that everything he had was from God (1 Chronicles 29:14). God instituted the laws concerning tithes and offerings and instructed the people to give from what they had been blessed with, the harvest, and the herds. David said that he would not give to God things that cost him nothing (2 Sam 24:24). Jesus commended the widow who gave her all when she gave the two mites she had (Luke 21: 2,3). Christian giving must hurt!

The Bible does not teach us to give expecting a return. Then there is no 'sacrifice' in it. It then becomes a business deal where any investment is expected to bring profits. But God is no man's debtor for the Bible says in Proverbs 19:17, "He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, and He will pay back what he has given." 'Giving' is the nature of God. We did not ask God to give His Son as a sacrifice for our sins, nor did we deserve it. But God gave out of His love for us! Getting 'returns' should never be the focus of our giving.

Paul says in 2 Cor 9:6,7 &10, " He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. …". Then in v10, he says, "Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness…" Because Paul says 'seed,' 'sowing,' and 'reaping' people have understood this to mean giving to God as 'sowing money' which is supposed to bring money-returns! Paul is not talking about a money-tree here! If that is true, there is no need for Paul to add that we should not give grudgingly but give cheerfully. What Paul means by 'multiply the seed you have sown' is for the receiver. Just like God multiplied the five loaves and two fish to feed the five thousand, God will multiply the small gift given by us to meet the receiver's need, which could be huge! What will come back to the giver is 'fruits of righteousness.'

My friend, motive is just as important as the action! Give sacrificially for God has blessed us with more than what we deserve. May the Lord increase ‘fruits of righteousness’ in our lives.

Categories: Weekly DevotionalsAuthor: Hephzibah StephenDate: 17th March 2020 Share: newsletterDisplay date: 18th March 2020

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