The Word To Live By 1-24-26
Phil Waggoner
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Galatians 6:7,8
The Word To Live By: I’m going through scriptures I hear at church and other functions where they take up a free-will offering. Don’t get me wrong; I believe it is the will of God for us to give. It is part of our nature as Christians to be givers. This whole thing began with God giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins (John 3:16). I just think that the motive for giving is sometimes misunderstood. Christians shouldn’t give to get. Christians should give to honor God (Proverbs 3:9) and to further the kingdom of God. When you do that, the fruit of what you sowed will show up in your life. If it’s money, it will be money; if it’s food, it will be food; if it’s time, it will be time, “Whatever a man sows he shall reap”. My point is, however, that if you give with the wrong motives, weeds will come up in your harvest, and the fruit of that harvest will not be as good as God intended it to be. Look at 2 Corinthians 9:6-11, “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, ‘He scattered abroad, He gave to the poor, His righteousness endures forever.’ Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.” Giving is about your attitude - what you believe and what you are going to do with the harvest. The bottom line is this - the only thing that you can give God is yourself. Keep your eyes on the Word and start living in ways that get things out of your life that are inconsistent with the character of God. Keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith, not on the shiny things of this world. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. That’s your number one priority in giving.
Read through the Bible in a year: Luke 18:18-43; Genesis 31; Psalms 24;
Read through the New Testament and Proverbs: Proverbs 24, Matthew 12:26-50, Acts 24:
The sum of Thy Word is Truth Psalm 119:160