God Repays with Interest

 

By Andrea Merrell

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.

2 Corinthians 9:10 NIV

Finances were extremely tight, but the pull to give was strong. Not sure whether we would be able to pay all our bills and buy groceries, I gave in a simple act of obedience.

The Bible has much to say about money:

• Be generous. Invest in acts of charity. Charity yields high returns. (Ecclesiastes 11:1 MSG)
• Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. Luke 6:38 NKJV)
• If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—and he will repay you! (Proverbs 19:17 NLT)
• Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. (Malachi 3:10 NKJV)

The world’s philosophy is to hold tightly to what we have, but God says to give. To be generous. To help others. And to do it all with a cheerful attitude.

Some say you can’t out-give God. I’ve certainly found that true in my life. By my simple act of obedience, He not only repaid what I gave, He returned it with more than I could have imagined or hoped for. He always gives back more than we sow.

One writer says it’s the level of our giving that determines the level of our receiving. When God says give, don’t be afraid. And don’t hold back, waiting until you have more to give. He will bless what you offer and repay you with heavenly interest.

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and posterize.

 

What's In It for Me?

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By Andrea Merrell

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others.

Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

Philippians 2:3 NLT

 

When asked for a small favor, the man responded, “What’s in it for me?”

Selfishness—the state of being overly concerned with one’s self—has pervaded our society. It has become a dog-eat-dog, us-four-and-no-more, every-man-for-himself mentality. Masks, isolation, and social distancing have only added to the problem. Put it all together and it creates fear. 

But what does God say? Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. The MSG puts it like this: Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

One of the greatest blessings in life is reaching out to others—without a single thought of what’s in it for me? It brings joy, peace, and the deep satisfaction of knowing we are pleasing our heavenly Father and being obedient to His Word.

Put away selfish thoughts. Be generous. Lend a helping hand. Be a blessing in whatever way you can. When you continually sow seeds of kindness, you will reap a harvest when you need it most.

 

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.)

 

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Be a blessing in whatever way you can. When you continually sow seeds of kindness, you will reap a harvest when you need it most. via @Andrea Merrell (Click to tweet.)

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Open Your Hand

 By Andrea Merrell

 

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.

Luke 6:38 NKJV

 

 

You could watch it happen whenever it came time for the offering. His body stiffened. His hands clenched together. He almost broke out in a cold sweat. Once the plate went past him, he visibly relaxed … and sometimes even smiled.

 

What a shame that the very thought of giving sends some people into a panic. The world screams at us to hold on to what we have. Look out for number one. Let everyone else look out for themselves.

 

But the Bible tells us the opposite. Give. Why? Because it will be given back to us. And what comes back to us—from the Lord—will depend on the measure we used when we gave. Give a teaspoon full, get back a teaspoon full. Give a bushel full, get back the same.

 

It’s a paradox that doesn’t make sense to our natural, carnal minds. Chris Tiegreen says, “The key to getting is giving.” And it doesn’t only work with finances. The same spiritual principle applies to love, joy, peace, acceptance, friendship, and anything else you might have need of. It’s a matter of sowing and reaping. Sow not, reap not.

 

As followers of Christ, we should be generous with whatever the Lord blesses us with. Being tightfisted, like the man in church, is like putting our seed in a box instead of in the ground and still expecting a great harvest.

 

Our God is a good God. A covenant-keeping God. A man of His Word. He desires to bless us far beyond our wildest imagination. All He asks is our trust and obedience.

 

The next time the plate comes around or you are prompted to give, go ahead. Give. Open your hand. Be generous. Sow with a grateful heart because God loves a cheerful giver.

 

 Photo by averie woodard on Unsplash

 Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.)

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As followers of Christ, we should be generous with whatever the Lord blesses us with. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

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