I want you to Imagine for a moment that you're on a long road trip. You are driving through unfamiliar territory, and you know we are 2 distinct types of people when it comes to our petrol tank. With a show of hands when your petrol tank is half you already filling up. And who are those that when the light comes up, we going to let it shine, but for both groups?
Anxiety starts to creep in as you wonder if you will make it to the next petrol station. Suddenly, you see a sign indicating a rest stop just ahead. Relief washes over you as you pull in and refuel, knowing you have what you need to continue your journey.
Life often feels like that road trip, doesn’t it?
Share how you emptied the bakkie twice.
The same happens to us Especially when it comes to our finances. We face times when our resources are running low, and we wonder if we will have enough to make it through. Whether it is paying bills, managing debt, or saving for the future, we all experience moments of financial uncertainty and need. But just as the station provided the fuel needed for the journey, the Bible assures us that God is our perfect provider, meeting our financial needs at just the right time.
So today I want to look at the topic of giving. How God is our ultimate provider, we miss the point that God is even the provider of our finances that in God's image shapes our understanding and practice of giving. We will look at the foundation of being created in His image, see how God models perfect giving, and learn practical ways to reflect His generosity in our own lives. We will also look at the story of the Israelites in the wilderness to understand the dangers of taking matters into our own hands when we lack trust in God's provision.
You see there is this thing that the last thing that gets saved in the Christian life, is his wallet, and the logical reason is that money makes the world go round, but you see for us as Christians we are not created to hoard, to be greedy, and to constantly worrying about more. You see that Jesus himself knew that in our human nature, we will in our nature want more, and better and bigger.
Jesus says this in Matthew 6:24 (HCSB) No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and money.
Now the word money here is called mammon and. mammon treasure riches (where it is personified and opposed to God). Now there is an easy test for us to see what we value more. And that is how we get when we buy stuff or invest in an earthly kingdom. The test is this. How worried are you even though you have an alarm at home and insurance? How worried are you that someone would steal your stuff or drop your phone? Let us be honest.
We have insurance on insurance and then alarms and we still worry about it being stolen, so we install cameras in our houses to check via Wi-Fi if the house looks good in the morning. Yes, theft is real but what makes me worried is that we put so much emphasis on stuff and wealth that we forget what Jesus said that we can be a slave to money.
How much time do we spend worrying about finances, and how much time do we spend on God? 15 Do not love the world [of sin that opposes God and His precepts], nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 John 2:15
Let me give you an example of how generous God is. I will use an Old Testament example and a New Testament example. You should know by now that I love the stories and how it is relevant to us today. We see the story of the Israelites in Exodus 16 After the Israelites left Egypt, they found themselves in the wilderness without food. They began to grumble and doubt God's care. Despite witnessing God's miraculous deliverance from Egypt, they quickly forgot His faithfulness:
"The Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. In the desert, the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
The Israelites said to them, 'If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.'" (Exodus 16:1-3)
In response, God provided manna from heaven: "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way, I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.'" (Exodus 16:4) God’s provision of manna was a daily miracle that required the Israelites to trust Him every day. They were instructed to gather only as much as they needed for that day, except for the day before the Sabbath when they were to gather twice as much. This was a test of their obedience and faith.
Human Tendency to Take Matters into Our Own Hands Despite God's clear instructions, some of the Israelites disobeyed: "However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them." (Exodus 16:20)
This behaviour reflects a lack of trust in God’s provision. They feared that there would not be enough for the next day, so they took matters into their own hands. Is this not us sometimes, let us be honest. We make bad financial decisions because we want to have a better life for ourselves, and instead of being generous, cause God says in His word. Proverbs 19:17 (AMP) He who is gracious and lends a hand to the poor lends to the LORD, And the LORD will repay him for his good deed. Instead of trusting God, we trust schemes and plans and pyramid schemes and get rich quickly. I am reminded of these bitcoin scams that we saw in the times when they would draw you in by evaluating the system with a small amount.
People see their money grow at rates that are just not sustainable, and then they put in bigger amounts, and they start dreaming about that house, that car, paying off debt, we start to become greedy in our minds, and because we serve mammon and yes you do not even think that you will donate anything to the local church, cause hey If I have the money I do not need God anymore. I have this covered. all God-given wisdom and the bible flies out of the door and you invest your life savings etc., and then when you lose it, you blame everyone but yourself. You see as Christians we are called not hoarders of money, but rather trusting God with our finances and Jesus said guys it is better to give than to receive.
So, we sometimes make bad decisions, we quit a job before having employment somewhere else, and we make an emotional decision with the workplace or business. I want to ask have you given God your career and your business, do you show Godly principles at work or in the business? Cause if you do no matter what comes, God will always provide. But too many times I hear about people quitting jobs because they were promised better but never did their due diligence, we just see how much money we can make and how much better our lifestyle will be.
In turn that creates anxiety, and worry. I mean the Israelites saw the Red Sea parted. They saw their enemies destroy, they saw 10 plagues on how God was getting them out of Israel, and they still had anxiety and worry, they still did not trust God. And even though God kept on providing, water, cloud, fire manna meat. They still wanted more and became anxious, and they thought their way is better and greater than God. I want to confess. I was at a stage where I started to really get frustrated with people who I helped the most, turn their back on me. That I wanted to stop being generous. And I was reminded with this Louis who are you giving to, to me or to them. God did not stop providing, even though his children were downright nasty, he kept on giving, and he kept on being generous.
I am reminded that I am created in his image. I need to do the same, even when it hurts me. It means giving back to him, it means being generous. It means trusting in his commands and promises in his bible. God is so generous that he sent Jesus His son for us. And we see Jesus in the New Testament doing an amazing miracle in feeding the 5000 men with their families. And there are 2 pieces that I want to look at.
The first we read this: John 6:5-7 (AMP) Jesus looked up and saw that a large crowd was coming toward Him, and He said to Philip, “Where will we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 But He said this to test Philip, because He knew what He was about to do. 7 Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii (200 days’ wages) worth of bread is not enough for each one to receive even a little.” Jesus’ Compassion and Initiative: Jesus noticed the crowd’s need and took the initiative to address it. His question to Philip was designed to highlight the situation’s impossibility from a human perspective and to prepare for the miraculous provision.
We are sometimes like Philip's response reflects a common human reaction: focusing on the limitations and obstacles. He saw the financial impossibility of feeding such a large crowd, emphasizing that it would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread. We put God in a box, and we do not believe he can provide so we fall for the devil's schemes and traps. You see Andrew’s introduction of the boy with five loaves and two fish seems almost pointless given the crowd’s size, yet it demonstrates that God can use even the smallest offerings to accomplish remarkable things.
Jesus took what was available, gave thanks, and miraculously multiplied it to meet the needs of the multitude. God’s Provision is Abundant: Not only did everyone eat until they were satisfied, but there were also leftovers—twelve baskets full. This abundance signifies that God’s provision is more than enough to meet our needs.
So, when I look at this how do we get away from making the love of money our master and we slave away. Just as God provides for us, we are called to provide for others, our generosity is an act of worship, and a reflection of His love and provision in our lives, when we give, we are participating in God’s work of provision and demonstrating his love for others. So, you might ask Louis how I do this how do we do this as believers? How do we give, how are we more generous? There are 2 parts to this the first is introspection and trusting God and the 2nd is the physical action of it.
So, when we look at these 2 stories we need to look in and understand that.
Trust in God’s Compassion and Initiative: Just as Jesus saw and responded to the crowd’s needs, we can trust that God sees our financial needs and takes the initiative to provide for us. We should bring our concerns to Him in prayer, confident in His compassion.
Overcoming Limited Perspectives: When faced with financial challenges, it’s easy to focus on what we lack. Like Philip, we might see only the impossibility. Instead, we should remember that God’s resources are not limited by our circumstances. He can provide in ways we cannot imagine.
Offering What We Have: No matter how small our resources may seem; God can use them. The boy’s willingness to offer his small lunch teaches us to give what we have, trusting that God can multiply it. This principle applies to our finances—whether through tithing, offerings, or helping others.
Recognizing Abundant Provision: God’s provision is not just sufficient; it is abundant. We should expect and recognize God’s blessings in our lives, knowing that He provides more than we need. This abundance is an opportunity to bless others and to give generously.
Practising Good Stewardship: Jesus’ instruction to gather the leftovers underscores the importance of good stewardship. We are called to use our resources wisely, avoid waste and be mindful of how we manage what God has provided.
So how do we do the above well in a few different ways we see in the bible?
1.Tithing and Offering:
Malachi 3:10 (AMP) Bring all the tithes (the tenth) into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test 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 [so great] a blessing until there is no more room to receive it.
Tithing is a biblical principle that involves giving the first 10% of our income back to God. This practice is rooted in the understanding that everything we have comes from God, and by tithing, we acknowledge Him as our provider. In Malachi 3:10, God challenges His people to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, promising that if they do, He will open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. This is one of the few instances in the Bible where God invites His people to test Him.
When we tithe, we show faith and obedience to God. When we give our first to God, we really must trust God for our provision and our needs. This God will honour you because you are putting Him first in your finances. This discipline helps you prioritize God in your financial life. When we tithe, we show an attitude of gratitude. It is a way and opportunity to express thankfulness to God provision for us.
Helping Those in Need:
Scripture Reference: Proverbs 19:17 (AMP) He who is gracious and lends a hand to the poor lends to the LORD, And the LORD will repay him for his good deed. The Bible consistently calls us to help those who are less fortunate. Proverbs 19:17 beautifully expresses that kindness to the poor is like lending to the Lord, and He will reward us for our generosity. This verse emphasizes that God values our acts of kindness and will not forget them.
It means give financial assistance in those of need, NPO orginasations children homes. Widows and orphans. It means supporting community programs or helping people pay for instance school fees, or petrol money. It means providing essentials, food, man I love the frozen food ministry at church, we helped so many people with food already just by obedience of others. Giving away the clothes you do not wear anymore. Helping the needy.
Practising Generosity in Daily Life:
Scripture Reference: 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (AMP) Now [remember] this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to others] will also reap generously [and be blessed]. 7 Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift].
Generosity should be a daily practice, not limited to special occasions or church settings. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 that our generosity should come from the heart, given willingly and cheerfully. This kind of giving is pleasing to God and brings blessings both to the giver and the receiver.
Intentional Generosity: Be intentional about looking for opportunities to bless others. This could be as simple as buying coffee for a coworker, leaving a generous tip, or giving an unexpected gift to someone in need.
Generous Heart: Cultivate a heart of generosity by regularly reflecting on God's generosity towards you. Let this reflection inspire you to give generously to others.
Daily Opportunities: Seek out daily opportunities to practice generosity. It does not always have to be about money; offering your time, a listening ear, or a helping hand can also be acts of generosity.
In closing in conclusion, we have seen that:
We are created in God's image, reflecting His character and generosity.
God models perfect giving through the sacrificial gift of His Son, and we saw what impact that giving of His Son has on the world.
We are called to reflect God's generosity in our lives by giving to others.
The story of the Israelites in the wilderness, and the feeding of the 5000 teaches us the importance of trusting in God's provision and the dangers of taking matters into our own hands.
We can practice generosity including tithing, helping those in need, and daily acts of giving. Let us commit to being generous, not out of obligation, but out of a deep understanding of God's immense generosity towards us. As we give, we reflect His image and participate in His work of provision and love.
