We read in 2 Corinthians 9:8, “Besides, God is able to make every blessing of yours overflow for you, so that in every situation you will always have all you need for any good work.” (ISV)
The Lord is leading all of us to reach this stage of overflowing abundance in our lives. Also the Lord is faithful to keep His promise, but there are some things that we are required to do as well. We will see this principle at work in many places in the bible. Though the Lord Jesus had the power to raise dead Lazarus, the task of removing the stone was given to those who had gathered there. The Lord was able to make Peter get a miraculous catch of fish, but in order for that to happen he had to throw his net into the deep. Think about the time when the Lord turned water into wine. The miracle to do so was in the Lord’s hands, but to fill the stone jars with water was left to the servants who were at the wedding. We understand then that we are therefore working partners with the Almighty God who is the creator of heaven and earth.
The master invests in his servants
We already studied in detail the Parable of the talents as recorded in Matthew 25:14-30. Here’s a quick summary of this parable. There is a man who goes on a long journey, and before he goes he calls his servants and entrusts his money to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two and another one.
This is recorded in Matthew 25:15, “He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.” (NLT)
These bags of silver is referred to as talents in another version. In general when we refer to talents they could refer to our resources, our time, our family, our children, our ability to speak, hear and even our breath. There are some who are not using these talents, but the Lord reminds us that the more we use it, they will grow and multiply.
The master’s expectation
However we read in Matthew 25:27 why didn't you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.' (NLT)
The talent that is referred to in this parable refers to money, and so it was right that the master told the servant with one talent that he should have deposited the money in the bank so that he could have at least got the interest for the same. Note how the master reiterates that it was his money that was entrusted to the servant.
We often think that the money we earn is ours. All of our finances belong to God, but He entrusts it to us in various ways. Everything that we have in our hands belongs to God, He is the owner and we are called to be good stewards who have the responsibility to multiply all that is given in our hands.
Of the 37 parables that Jesus taught 16 of them are about the way we use money and worldly things. You might wonder why Jesus took so much time to teach about money, instead of speaking about spiritual things only. Here are some important principles that we should learn and follow from God’s word.
One can’t serve two masters
We read in Matthew 6:24 "You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and love the other; you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (GNB)
A man can only have one master, and that master can either be God or money because no man can serve God and money. For many people money has become their master. The one thing that can take the place of God in our lives is money, and Jesus has made this very clear to us.
How do we use our finances the right way?
There are many people who prioritized money over God in the bible too, and lost everything. Think about Judas Iscariot who placed money over Jesus, and thereby lost his life. The bible talks about another young man who sought Jesus, and wanted to know what he should do to inherit eternal life. When Jesus told him that he had to sell all that he had, and give it to the poor, this shocked him and saddened him and he walked away from Jesus. Think about Ananias and Sapphira who loved God, but also loved money, and lost their lives and salvation.
It is therefore of utmost importance that we learn to use the money that is entrusted to well in the right way.
Seed for harvesting and food for strength
We read in 2 Corinthians 9:10, “And God, who supplies seed for the sower and bread to eat, will also supply you with all the seed you need and will make it grow and produce a rich harvest from your generosity.”(GNB)
God gives seed to the sower, but He also gives bread to eat, but note how the seed only increased so that it will grow, and give us a rich harvest. The seed therefore is meant for sowing only. I asked a church member who does farming how much of garlic could be harvested in one acre of land that was farmed. He told me they could get around 5000 kilo grams of garlic. I asked him if he would sell all that he harvested if there was a good buying rate, and he told me he would always keep back a good amount of garlic that was considered good seed, so they could be sowed again before selling the rest. When I asked him how he would identify the good seeds for sowing, he said they would choose the ones that were best grown and healthy, and keep them aside so they can use them for sowing again.
In the money that God gives to us there is seed for sowing, but there is also food for us to eat and live. Seed is for multiplication, and food is for strengthening us. When we don’t understand this principle, we will not be able to experience this abundance that God desires to give to us.
Honor God with your finances
This is what we are supposed to do with the seed money that is in our hands.
We read in Proverbs 3:9-10, “Honor the LORD by making him an offering from the best of all that your land produces. If you do, your barns will be filled with grain, and you will have too much wine to store it all.”(GNB)
If we want our storehouses to overflow with blessings, we must honor God with the first fruits of all that He gives to us. Food will strengthen us, but the seed that is in our hands is something that will surely multiply when we sow in the right way. Some people will insist that this means we give a certain percentage of our income to the Lord, and often there are those who compel people to do so. Let me tell you that as a son or daughter of God, our Heavenly Father does not need our money, but we give because we love Him. Since many have not understood this principle they give out of fear, and have been taught that if they don’t give they will have to face harsh consequences of the same. This is not true.
Give cheerfully, not out of compulsion
Paul says it this way in 2 Corinthians 9:7, You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully." (NLT)
When we get income the government sets a slab for the amount that has to be paid as taxes. The Lord does not work that way. He blesses us every month, every year and all that He wants us to give to Him as an expression of our love is nothing compared to His blessings on our lives.
If your father was a very wealthy man would he expect you to give him a certain percentage of your money that you earn? We give cheerfully, willingly and out of love, but never reluctantly or out of compulsion. My Dad may have ten watches, but if I gave him a watch from the salary I earned, he would wear that watch even though it is not an expensive one, and proudly tell people that his son gifted it to him.
In what should we sow?
We also read in Proverbs 19:17, When you give to the poor, it is like lending to the LORD, and the LORD will pay you back. (NLT)
Whenever we give to the poor, it is like lending to the Lord, and just imagine the way that God will give back to those who give generously.
Often times we run this life thinking that everything has to be got with our own effort. Remember that God gives us everything. Think about it we had a severe crisis during the pandemic, and many were confined to their homes with no work. However, I can be sure that all of you will testify that none of you went hungry, and the Lord provided everything during for us during those days. Not only did the Lord take care of us, He also preserved our lives. There were many who slowed down and sincerely sought after God during that season. However, once everything got back to normal, a majority have gotten back into the same crazy schedules they were in before the pandemic.
Set aside at least one day in the week for the Lord. We want the Lord to take care of us every single day, bless us seven days a week, but we think it is enough to just give an hour to the Lord. Take a day to spend time with God, read His word and pray, and when you do so the Lord will bless all you do.
God has blessed us with much in terms of time, family, finances and everything else. We have not learned to use it well. The word of God reminds us that to him who has more will be given and he will be a blessing. Give to the Lord all that we are supposed to give not just our finances, but our time and energy as well.
I worked abroad for a few years, and in this country there are no churches, and no permission to worship the Lord too. If we get caught it could mean losing our lives too. In such a situation the Lord united me with a church. People would slip in quietly to join in. The worship that began in the morning at 10 am continued till 4 pm in the evening. It was in such a situation that I learnt what it means to give a day for the Lord, and the blessings of doing so. This is the reason why I have the zeal and enthusiasm to conduct church all day, and feel energized doing so.
We read in 2 Corinthians 9:6, “Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.” (NLT)
Think about this – How much of what gives to us do we keep as seed, and how much of it do we consume as food? It is up to us to either consume all of the resources that God gives to us for food or to set aside a portion for seed. Food will only give strength, but seeds alone will multiply
He who sows sparingly will therefore reap sparingly, and He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Isaac received blessings a hundred fold
Let me conclude with this passage of scripture from Genesis 26:12, When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the LORD blessed him. (NLT)
This was Isaac’s experience in a land that was drought stricken, and the Lord blessed him, and gave him fruit a hundred fold. The result was that the Philistines grew envious of Isaac.
How to receive a hundred fold
Jesus told a parable about the sower and the seed. The seed that fell on good ground produced fruit thirty, sixty and a hundred fold. When God’s word falls on a good heart that’s the kind of fruit that it will produce. The seed is good, and so is the soil, but there is a difference in the fruit that is being produced. This is because the seed which is the word of God, and on hearing it itself there is chance of producing fruit thirty fold. If we want this to produce fruit sixty fold we must understand the word. Don’t just accept the word as it is, but search the scriptures, study it for yourself and understand its deeper meaning. The words that are shared are kingdom principles and the more we understand it there will be fruit sixty fold. However, we don’t stop with just hearing and understanding but when we do as the word says then we can be sure that our lives will bear fruit a hundred fold.
When we bear fruit, like Isaac we will face envy and opposition of all sorts. If you will study the life of Isaac the very ones who opposed him came, and made peace with him. They did so because they understood that there was nothing with Isaac, but the blessings on his life was because of the God he worshipped. If we can understand this principle, the Lord will bless us, multiply us and make us bear fruit a hundred fold.
God is willing, and it is His will that we should all be not only in a place where all our needs are met but a place of overflowing abundance. In order for that to happen we need to know God's will for us and live according to His divine principles.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
