Kingdom Returns
“Cast Your Bread On The Waters”
Secrets from Ecclesiastes 11
Ecclesiastes 11:1 - Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days.
Ecclesiastes was written by one of the wisest men that ever lived.
When God speaks about bread, He is talking about those things that you have which you can commit to Him such as your talents, finances, ministry, and your gifting. The Bible teaches us that this is the way of the Kingdom. I do not know why it works this way, but it does.
So many of us struggle in so many areas of our lives because we tend to compute the Word with our natural minds. God encourages us to do things His way no matter what.
Proverbs 14:12 - There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
If we want to come to a place of abundance in our life, we need to listen to what God says regardless of how silly it may sound to our ears.
The bread that Solomon was speaking about is anything we have. He was the wisest man that ever lived. But it was not his wisdom, it was Gods wisdom.
We all have different talents, abilities, and gifts. However, if we do not throw them away we will not be effective in the Kingdom. Solomon said, “Cast it.” There are things that need to be cast away Gods way, so that when it returns it becomes a blessing.
Many people are in spiritual offices representing God but they rely on their own talents and gifts. They have never ever given their gift to God. So many do not want to do that because it does not make sense. For example, what sense does it make for me to cast my finances away? You have to cast your finances because that is your provision. God wants us to rely on Him for His supernatural provision and not what we can provide in our own strength.
When you cast something that is precious to you and walk away from it, the water is going to take it away. You cannot take it back. God’s way is the way for Kingdom living though it may not to make any sense at all.
Nothing that is cast away Gods way is ever lost. Anything that you have cast away will always last. Casting means you give it away.
There are things we have to walk away from. When we have problems with people, we may have to cast them away so that God can deal with them. We have to remove ourselves from the situation.
When things just do not work, remove them and walk away and ask God to deal with them. “Lord, you deal with it because you know the dynamics. I do not know what is going on, but you do.” That is God's wisdom and that is God's way.
God is teaching us to be obedient to His way because He wants to bless you. That is God's wisdom. That is the only way for your ministry to be birthed, or for your marriage to be blessed, or for finances to come your way, or for your talents to be enhanced. Give it God and when He is ready bring it back, it will come back in a different form and it will be better and be a blessing and not a burden.
Proverbs 10:22 - The blessing of the Lord makes one rich and He adds no sorrow with it.
The same applies to cares. Cast then on Jesus. Let God deal with it because He knows the problem and he knows the solution.
So many of God’s people are living a miserable life in the present because they think they are going to have a good life in heaven. You can have quality of life now. You can enjoy health and the healing now and do not have to wait for it in the future. God will provide all your needs. But there are things that need to be lifted off your life first.
Some of us tend to carry burdens that are not ours to carry. You need to enjoy every day of your life. God has not called you to misery. God has called you to a life of joy, peace, and abundance.
Here are a few things you can apply in your life right away.
1. No deposit, no return
Ecclesiastes 11:1 - Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days.
If you give nothing you will receive nothing. That is a Kingdom principle. If you do not give things over to God, God cannot fix it.
If you do not pray, you cannot have answered prayer. If you do not give an offering, you cannot receive a harvest. If you do not witness to people, you are never going to have souls saved.
God will always ask you what you have. God will not give you things if you have not given something first. He does not do anything with nothing. If you multiply zero with a million, the return is zero. Anything multiplied by zero will always equal to zero. If God’s promise to you is 100 hundred fold, the return will be nothing if nothing is given to be multiplied.
God does not reward “nothing.” For example, God will not reward idleness. But He will reward faith with works.
2. The return will always take time
Ecclesiastes 11:1 - ----for you will find it after many days.
Remember, one day is as a thousand to the Lord. God’s timing is unpredictable.
2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
James 5:7 - Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
The reason why many Christians do not fulfill their potential is because they do not want stay for the long haul. They want to sow a seed today and receive a harvest tomorrow. God does not work that way.
Be prepared to wait by faith no matter how long it takes and never give up on your seed. When people walk away and give up on their seed, God’s work stops. Do not make the mistake by trying to help God. Let everything happen in God’s timing. Never try and hasten the incubation period that God has set for you.
3. Be a risk taker
Ecclesiastes 11:1 - Cast your bread…
Each part of God’s plan for your life is activated by taking a risk. God will never give you a step by step process to follow. He will give you the end result, but the steps to that plan must be initiated by faith.
In order for Solomon to excel in prosperity for his nation, he loaded precious merchandise onto ships and cast them into the water. The risks were high because the journey was always a treacherous and uncertain one. They faced unpredictable storms and dangers from their enemies. They had no insurance policies in those days to protect their merchandise. Yet they took the risks and launched the ships.
Their faith was in their ships and they believed that they would return and bring all the rewards with them.
God has good plans for us and does not want us to warm church benches. Churches should not have leaders without portfolio. Every person in the church should have a portfolio.
It takes a risk to follow a man’s vision and place your own desires second.
God will never give you a second instruction unless you have moved on the first one He gave you. God told Abraham to move from his country. He never spoke to him again until after he had moved.
4. Give over and above expectations
Ecclesiastes 11: 2 - Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, For you do not know what evil will be on the earth.
We are living in a world where the future is uncertain. Today the only thing that is certain is God’ promises to those who follow Him sincerely.
In this passage of the Word, Solomon tell us that if we have decided to give a certain amount, then we should go over and above what we initially planned because the things of God are secure and reliable. In an uncertain world, your future can only be secure when you cast out by faith. God wants us to be radical in everything we do for Him.
This world is becoming a desperate place and nobody has the answers to the world’s problems. The solutions are not in the heart of man. No earthly leader has the answers for the problems facing people today, but God has the answers for His people to live in safety and security in a dangerous unpredictable world. That is worth investing in and when you cast by faith, you may as well go the extra mile and give more.
By doing that you are honoring God so that you can ensure your being and that of your family.
Matthew 13:45-46 - "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
There are so many people in the world today who are seeking the truth. That is why there are so many who follow all kinds of religions as they constantly seek the secrets of life.
The man in our Bible passage had such a desire and hunger for the Kingdom of God and went on an endless journey seeking the secrets of life that were really worth finding and owning.
The secrets of the Kingdom are treasures that are priceless and timeless and when he found the truth, he invested his entire life into it.
When we discover the secrets of God’s Kingdom, we should give up everything to buy them and apply them radically.
Sow as much as possible as often as you can and in as many places as you can. Do not ever become a Sunday sower but be a continuous giver.
5. Do not make excuses
Ecclesiastes 11:3-4 - If the clouds are full of rain, They empty themselves upon the earth; And if a tree falls to the south or the north, In the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie. He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap.
There are always tragedies and you can be assured that bad things will happen. That is life. Bad things happen to good people. Therefore it is always going to be an inconvenient time to start and do something for God. You will always have family problems, children problems, financial problems, issues with the past, etc. If you wait until everything is running smoothly in your life, you will wait forever. Once you deal with one issue, another one will emerge. That is life. The devil will always make sure that you can never be available to please God.
The best time to start doing something for God and to start casting things upon the water is now. Now is the day of salvation. Regardless of your personal circumstances, present yourself to God today by faith.
In these last days, Jesus is calling us to follow Him and to cast our life upon the water. He wants to use us for His purposes. God is not looking for excuses but our for commitment.
6. Expect things beyond your understanding
Ecclesiastes 11:5-6 - As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything. In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, Either this or that, Or whether both alike will be good.
Do not try and work the things of God out in your natural mind. God knows your situation. Your problems may be unique and that is exactly that is why you need God. He knows how to take your situation which is so different and so complicated and navigate you out of that mess. He knows how to pull you out of the mire. Even though you are in a unique situation, He has a unique solution for you. Nothing is too hard or too difficult for God.
Expect a miracle. It may not look like there is a way out of your situation, but God can sort it out if you cast these cares upon the Him. Take your hands off and let God do a perfect work. He knows how to work it out and ensure a good outcome.
7. He was there all the time
Ecclesiastes 11: 9-10 - Truly the light is sweet, And it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun; But if a man lives many years And rejoices in them all, Yet let him remember the days of darkness, For they will be many. All that is coming is vanity.
Doing life can be tough and there are so many times when we may think we will never be able to survive. But when you look back on your life, those occasions are a distant memory.
God is faithful. We should have failed, but we did not. As you trust Him day by day and sow into His Kingdom, you will enjoy a future harvest. Your future will be secure.
8. Keep your eyes on the big picture
Ecclesiastes 11: 9-10 - Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, And put away evil from your flesh, For childhood and youth are vanity.
My wife and I live in a suburban neighborhood and moved in eleven years ago. I did not spend much time in my garden because there were no trees against the fence and my neighbors could look right into the property.
I went to the nursery and bought some trees. They told me it would take years for the trees to grow. But I had faith in those trees and I cast them against my boundary fence and knew that they would bring me privacy one day.
Years came and went and it seemed that they were not growing at all. However, slowly but surely the trees began to grow sideways and upwards and today I have a beautiful park-like garden. It did not happen by itself and it did not happen overnight.
Enjoying the benefits of the Kingdom means we have to plan what we want and then sow and wait. The blessings do not necessarily come in a day, a week, a month, or a year. It takes years and years to reap a harvest.
Many Christian give up waiting and move on. If I sold and moved out, someone else would be enjoying my harvest.
There are principles of the Kingdom that are everlasting and never change. If you seek the treasures of God’s secrets you will find them and when you do, sacrifice everything to follow them and enjoy their benefits. The things of the Kingdom are priceless and everlasting. But be patient.
Cast your life as a seed and you will discover what God puts back into your life. The world will never be good for you. It is the things of the world and the kingdom of darkness that steal your dreams, your marriage, your finance, your children, and your life.
The best thing that you can do is give your life over to Jesus.
Matthew 6:33 - But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
