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.

 

Seedtime and Harvest

By Andrea Merrell

To everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose under heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV

“I gave an offering last week and nothing happened,” the man said. “What did I do wrong?”

The Bible says when we give, it will be given back to us. It doesn’t say what will be given, how it will be given, or when it will be given. Our part is to sow our seed and leave the rest to God.

Sometimes the harvest takes weeks, months, or even years. It takes time for a seed to grow, especially if we’re not prepared to receive. Chris Tiegreen says, “Many have been surprised that God doesn’t bless them with plentiful resources, but their track record in handling their current resources hasn’t yet revealed their readiness for more.”

But sometimes the harvest comes quickly. I have experienced immediate blessings upon giving. Tiegreen goes on to say, “Never mistake God’s gifts of grace with an easy windfall. His gifts sometimes may appear sudden, but they have usually been years in the making. The receiver must be cultivated and prepared.”

Giving—like everything else in our Christian walk—should be done in faith and obedience. The good news for us is when we sow our seed into good ground, it will produce a harvest in due time. To everything there is a season … A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted. When a farmer plants and tends his field, he knows that when the time is right, the harvest will be there.

Be generous, but don’t just give to get. Give with a cheerful heart. Share what God has given you. When you sow your seed with a pure heart and the right motive, God will richly reward you. Your harvest will be there right when you need it.

 

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and koko-tewan.)

 

TWEETABLE

Be generous and give cheerfully. When you sow your seed with a pure heart and the right attitude, God will richly reward you. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

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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.)

 

TWEETABLE

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.)

To read in browser or leave a comment, click here.