Written by Deborah Ross cross post from Deborah Ross Ministries blog

IT MAKETH RICH!

Psalm 41:1-3 “Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble. The Lord protects them and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity in the land and rescues them from their enemies. The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health.” (NLT)

This scripture verse was part of my reading today and I think it is very appropriate for the Christmas season - as well as all year long. REMEMBER, YOU CANNOT OUT GIVE GOD. When you give to the poor, give to the church, and give to missions, the Lord promises that He will take care of your EVERY NEED… super abundantly! His word teaches that it is the “tight hand” or the “stingy soul” that suffers lack.

Proverbs 11:24 “Give freely and become more wealthy;be stingy and lose everything.”

I have witnessed God’s principles working in our household as we choose to live generously, trusting God for our every need. The Lord has shown us, time-and-time again that as we allow a continuous flow of our finances, time, and resources to pass through our hands - for His Kingdom purposes - He heals us, delivers us, and provides, not only for our needs, but for most of our wants, as well.

As Christians, our giving should not be a “tithe only” attitude. It should not be a “time only” (in place of the tithe) attitude. We should not have an attitude of being a “resource only” giver. No, our giving should be in TITHES and OFFERINGS. I truly believe that so many people miss out on the abundant provision of God, because of their refusal to give; to give over and above the tithe.

Malachi 3:8-12 “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” (NLT)

You see, keeping the 10% that is God’s portion is a curse. You will live much better on 90% of your income than you could ever expect to live off of a 100%. I know it doesn’t seem logical, but God’s Kingdom defies man’s logic. He is a supernatural God and shows His glory when He does things against the grain of what you can see, taste, feel, hear, or rationalize in your human mind. Tithing 10% of your income is not giving to God, rather, it is “trusting” God. He doesn’t need your money. He only desires that you live in faith, trusting Him for your every need. He loves you and “wants” to bless you.

Then, there is the offering. Giving an offering to the Lord should not be a haphazard event. Your offering should be out of an act of obedience that responds to the prompting of the Holy Spirit as He leads you to give to a cause, a need, or an organization. God desires to “speak to your heart” about certain Kingdom needs and then He desires that you are obedient to His wooing. Really, I believe that the offering is what moves the hand of God to bless you “super abundantly.” What are you in need of? Would you trust God by stepping out in faith to give, believing that as you do, He will pour out a blessing over and above your need?

Beyond our tithes and offerings, I have noticed something else about God’s provision principles. God has shown me that our giving should be in “doing the right thing.” Our giving should be in “never taking what is not ours.” We should seek out those who are less fortunate than us… and bless them… just because! Yes, God desires for us (you and I) to be faucets that are always “turned on.” He doesn’t want anything to have a hold on his children… and that includes money, time, and resources. He wants His children FREE INDEED, and the only pathway to becoming totally free is in following the instructions given by the designer of the universe. When God says, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over…,” you can fully trust in this spiritual law. (Luke 6:38)

Remember, God is not limited by a recession or by the “what ifs” of our economy. He is Lord over ALL and He is our only hope in times of trouble. If not for the blessing of the Lord, we would all surely live in fear. But, PRAISE THE LORD… He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of POWER, and of LOVE, and of a SOUND MIND. (2 Timothy 1:7) The Christian Spirit - the generous spirit who lives by FAITH - should not worry about the world’s economy. Our Daddy - Abba Father - owns it ALL!!! And, He loves to give good gifts to His children… as they are obedient to His Word.

I pray that this Christmas will find YOU in a spirit of giving… giving to the poor, giving to the church, and giving to missions. May you have a blessed (super abundantly blessed) holiday season, knowing that the Lord is faithful!!! He loves you and He cares about the “details” of your life. Trust Him.

Proverbs 22:9 “Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor..” (NLT)

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