GOD GIVES! DO YOU?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
I did this in a two part series.
TEXT:
Luke 12:32 Fear not, little flock: for it is your Father’s good pleasure to GIVE YOU the kingdom.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY begotten son
Mat. 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Psa. 107:20 HE GAVE HIS WORD, and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction’s.
It is God’s nature to give. What is your nature?
Today, I ponder giving?
What does one’s giving tell about them?
Let me ask 5 questions and then you ponder about them....
1) HOW DO YOU SHOW YOUR LOVE?
Do you honestly think about how you show your love to God, His church, and your family?
Often, our messages go forward not just in word, but in deed and body language.
Most will quickly pass over these questions and not seriously answer them. Are you with the crowd?
2) WHAT IF GOD GAVE YOU BACK WHAT YOU GIVE TO OTHERS?
Life can often be a mirror, trouble is we refuse to see that mirror effect. You reap what you sow?
3) WHAT IF GOD GAVE YOU WHAT YOU WANTED?
We probably have what God can trust us with? Would we be spoiled brats? Could our desires lead us away from God?
4) DO I GIVE BECAUSE I HAVE TO...?
Or do I give because I want to ...? I love to...? Your motive in giving will tell much about you?
5) DO YOU SEEK TOYS OR TOOLS?
Often we can evaluate our maturity level by what we spend our time with, TOYS or TOOLS?
Perhaps, I will address these 5 questions in more detail later.
I would love to have some input of discussion on these 5 questions.
NOW, LET’S LOOK AT GOD’S GIVING AND SEE WHAT HIS GIVING TELLS ABOUT HIM?
We might also consider what the Devil, our enemy, gives.
I have no desire to focus on our enemy’s giving, to be honest he never gives, --- he takes, divides and subtracts.
Usually, we talk about the little things and then build into the greater.
For this occasion, we will reverse the trend.
Fear not, little flock: for it is your Father’s good pleasure to GIVE YOU the kingdom. Luke 12:32.
God loves to give, giving shows love, giving shows GOD!
I) GOD GAVE THE BEST,--- HIS ONLY SON!
John 3:16 For God so loved the world THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY begotten son
...I never understood the love of giving a son, until I stood in the nursery window and saw my son, with tears running down my face, I looked heavenward, and said, "GOD HOW COULD YOU HAVE GIVEN YOUR ONLY SON?’’
I was in a service where a lady said she gave her son.
I pondered this, and found this to be an exaggeration.
Her son was taken, she never gave him.
We, that have children, know we would give our live’s much easier than our children.
That is real love to give your son, for people that was going to despise and reject him.
God, you show the highest love ever known by giving Your Son.
We could rest our case here and never go to another point.
GOD LOVED ... GOD GAVE.
When my brother Tim was in surgery and needed blood, they came out and asked dad to give blood.
As he lay on the table, he told the nurse... "Take all the blood Tim needs without consideration to me.
Thank you God for the LOVE that GAVE us JESUS! Thank you God for the gift of Jesus.
2) GOD GIVES US DAILY BREAD!
Jesus taught us to pray, (Mat. 6:11), Give us this day our daily bread.
I know many preachers that were scaring the flock today about Y2K, I rest totally in the arms of the All Mighty.
God has always fed His people.
David penned, "I once was young, but now I am old, I have not seen the righteous forsaken or His seed begging bread."
Yesterday, God made a way for us.
Today, God makes a way.
I think it very safe to lean on His promises and trust the plan of God until He comes or we go.
When there was no bread, there was manna. Thank you Lord for daily bread. I wonder why it is not yearly bread? (Mold, Greed?)
3) GOD GIVES HIS ANGELS CHARGE OVER US!
Psa. 91: 11--13 For HE SHALL GIVE HIS ANGELS charge over you.
(Again in Luke 4:10--11.) This is a written guaranteed promise. When our enemy has a design, God has the best design. You are not alone. Quit acting like an orphan.
4) GOD GIVES WATER, LIVING WATER!
John 4:14 ... BUT THE WATER I SHALL GIVE ... a well of water springing.
The world is 3/4 water. The human body is 3/4 water/fluids.
God provides the essentials.
Water in the Bible often represents the essentials.
Rev. 21:6 .... I WILL GIVE HIM THAT IS ATHIRST OF THE FOUNTAIN OF WATER OF LIFE FREELY. THANK YOU GOD FOR THE LIVING WATER.
5) GOD GIVES BEAUTY, JOY, AND PRAISE!
ISA. 61:3 .... To GIVE unto them beauty for ashes, (sounds like a good trade to me), the oil of JOY for mourning, (getting better?)
GARMENT OF PRAISE for the spirit of heaviness...
Every morning you have the choice to reach for the spirit of heaviness or the garment of praise. Which are you wearing today? THANK YOU GOD FOR THE GIFTS OF BEAUTY, JOY AND PRAISE.
6) GOD GIVES KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM!
Luke 1:77 TO GIVE KNOWLEDGE of salvation...
James says: If any lack wisdom, ask God, HE GIVES it liberally. Ignorance is ignorance. God has a better gift. Thank you God for wisdom.
7) GOD GIVES CROWNS!
Rev. 2:10 Fear none of those things ... and I WILL GIVE THEE A CROWN OF LIFE.
There are other crowns, but we know this, that the crowns of those close to the throne are a gift that is laid at Jesus’ feet, for He is King of Kings.
Thank you Lord for the crowns you give!
God’s nature gives. What about your nature, as others see it?
May I be real honest, may years ago on Christmas morn, we opened gifts around the tree. The Lord had been really good to us.
In the quietness that follows, I pondered a painful truth. There was NO GIFT under the tree for Jesus. Since then the last of November, I try to remind all to ’’NOT FORGET JESUS,’’ He never forgot you.
I shall continue pondering about God’s giving.
Giving takes many forms.
My writing this is a gift.
Your reading it is a gift.
Your pondering the Love of God and His giving and then appreciating His giving would be a greater gift.
I honestly believe the beauty of Christmas is giving and valuing the giver.
Love gives.
Giving speaks volumes. as I ponder the greatest gift ever given it is very clear: the little babe in Bethlehem’s manger.
Joseph gave his name and reputation, as few knew of God’s visitation.
Mary gave her body, her reputation, and a trail of many tears pondering her Son’s walk.
YOU CAN GIVE WITHOUT LOVING, BUT YOU CAN NEVER LOVE WITHOUT GIVING.
8) GOD GAVE US HIS WORD!
Psa. 107:20 HE GAVE HIS WORD, and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction’s.
The gift of the word is underestimated today.
If you own a Bible and know how to read, you are very blessed.
Notice the design of the enemy in this verse is sickness and destructions (Plural).
Note that the gift of the word has benefits. The way we show appreciation for this gift is to read, to study, and to discuss this precious gift. Thank you God for your written word.
9) GOD GIVES REST!
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all that labor and ARE HEAVY laden, and I WILL GIVE YOU REST.
The doctor can give you a sleeping pill, but he can never give rest. Rest is a divine promise of God, unmerited and unearned, a gift. Many refuse the gifts of God. We live in a tired world sucking the life and faith out of believers. There is a refreshing, a divine rest. Accept it now. Thank you Jesus for rest that works in a lions’ den.
10) GOD GIVES LIGHT!
Luke 1:79--- TO GIVE LIGHT to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
Life always grows toward the light.
All visible life on this earth is directly or indirectly from the sun. All spiritual life is a result of the LIGHT OF THE SON.
I was a mile underneath the ground in a cave. They turned the lights off. All you could hear was the dripping of water. The guide said, anyone left there would go insane in the space of two months. Ever groped in the darkness and stubbed a toe? We need light to grow. Thank you God for the gift of light.
11) GOD GIVES US LEADERSHIP AND COMMANDMENTS.
John 13:34 A new commandment I GIVE UNTO YOU, that you love one another...
God’s commandments if obeyed would make this world a better place. His rules are for our safety and welfare.
1 John 5:2--3, tells us --- we show the love of God by submitting to the commandments that He gives. It also states that in the right attitude, His commandments are not grievous and hard. If you love God, you will love the commands HE GIVES. Thank you God for the common sense rules you have given us to follow.
12) GOD GIVES US HIS PEACE!
2 Thes. 3:16 Now the Lord of peace GIVE YOU PEACE always by all means....
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, MY PEACE I GIVE UNTO YOU .... Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Worry and fear are types of doubt and hinder the effective work of God.
Worry also is a poor testimony to the world.
Try reading ISA. 26:3 and Psa. 119:165, when nothing shall offend them....?
Wow, we focus wrong. Thank you God for the gift of peace, teach us to accept it.
13) GOD WILL GIVE HIS: A NEW NAME.
Rev. 2:17 I will give hidden manna, and I WILL GIVE him a white stone, and in the stone a new name....
14) GOD GIVES THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM. Matthew 16: 18---19 ....And I WILL GIVE UNTO THEE THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM....what you bind will be bound, what you loose will be loosed....
Keys are a symbol of ownership.
This shows alot of trust God invests in you. Thank you God for trusting the keys into men’s hands.
15) GOD GIVES US AUTHORITY.
Mark 13:34 .... and GAVE AUTHORITY TO HIS SERVANTS.
The love of God trust you so much, that Jesus does not treat us as servants, but rather as brothers.
16) GOD GIVES US WHAT WE ASK IN JESUS’ NAME.
John 16:23 ... Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in My Name, HE WILL GIVE IT TO YOU. Thank you God for the ability to ask.
17) GIFT TO ENEMY.
Prov. 25:21 If your enemy is hungry, GIVE HIM BREAD! If he is thirsty, GIVE HIM A DRINK.
This gift is love’s testimony. (Don’t give him poison to eat.) This will heap coals on their heads and faith to trust God for deliverance.
18) GOD GIVES US FAMILY.
In Genesis, God saw it was not good for man to be alone, so God created woman. What a gift.
1 Peter 3:7 warns man TO GIVE HONOR UNTO THE WIFE... Thank you God for families.
19) GOD GAVE US THE HOLY SPIRIT!
Jesus said, I must go away ... but I am GOING TO GIVE YOU THE HOLY GHOST AND POWER. This special gift is a teacher and comforter and guide. Thank you Father for the gift of your Spirit.
THE VERY NATURE OF GOD IS EXPOSED BY HIS GIVING HABITS.
We never discussed grace and mercy.
There are many more things God gives. We just selected a few to paint a thumb nail sketch of the beauty of God. It is God’s pleasure to give. Are you a giver or a taker?
We cannot fail to tell that many of God’s gifts are conditional ... IF -- THEN!
If my people ---- THEN WILL I.
I will close with this thought... IF YOU WANT THINGS DIFFERENT, THEN YOU MUST CHANGE YOUR GIVING.
It is insane to think you can have things different and YOU STAY THE SAME???
Give a little more and show the Love of God. Are you a willing giver following God’s example?
His servant,
Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
Please pass this to others?
