Devotion for July 27, 2008

Giving

“Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.” (Proverbs 3:9-10 NKJV)

Giving is to be an act that honors the Lord. It says to Him that your trust is not in the strength of your arm but in the faithfulness of your God. It is a spiritual duty that reminds the believer of his dependence upon God.

The believer prostitutes this spiritual principle when he participates in this discipline sinfully. If one gives out of duty, grudgingly, he is not honoring the Lord (2Cor. 9:7). Likewise, if one gives to gain a reputation he dishonors the Lord (Matt. 6:1). It is not the giving that impresses God, but the spirit in which the giving is done.

Those who give in a way that honors the Lord will likely have an abundance to do so repeatedly. This makes perfect sense because the Lord delights in the faithfulness of His children. He will not bless the one who tries to manipulate Him. However, those who honor Him will have vats overflowing with new wine.

Many want to place a percentage on what one must give. Clearly there was a tithe for the care of the Old Testament priests. However, the New Testament speaks to cheerful giving without regard to necessity or compulsion (2Cor. 9:7). That does not reduce the need for sacrificial giving, but magnifies it even more.

You know what it takes from you to honor the Lord. Don’t think the Lord is pleased when you can only give a relatively small amount cheerfully. This might be a sign of a stingy heart. To give sacrificially means to give until it means something. Giving sacrificially and cheerfully is to be in harmony. Consider what Paul said to the Corinthians.

“Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to [their] ability, yes, and beyond [their] ability, [they were] freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.” (2 Corinthians 8:1-4 NKJV)

Please note how they in affliction with joy abounded in their liberality. They gave with joy beyond their ability. That is what it means to give sacrificially and with a cheerful heart. What was their motive? I tell you it was out of love they gave. They loved God and they loved their brethren. Find a need and give out of love and you will likely see the blessings spoken of in proverbs become a reality in your life.