Your giving reflects a lot about you. We live in a world of sycophants and hypocrites. It is so easy for people to pledge their allegiance to you when their hearts are far away from you. It is the same when it comes to the Lord and the things of the Lord. There are many that just pay lip service to the Lord and to the things of the Lord. The proof of your true love is what you are ready to let go in order to lay hold on God.
[Matthew 15:8 KJV] “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
The Bible tells us that the Kingdom of God is like a merchant who found a goodly pearl. He sold everything he had and bought the pearl. What a man is willing to give up for the Lord is proof of his allegiance and love.
One thing that tells a lot about a person is his or her giving. Your giving tells a lot about you. Your giving is a reflection of who you are. I have very little respect for the supposed allegiance for people who can leave their cattle at home and pretend to be going to sacrifice to the Lord. Moses was unwilling to let Israel leave even the hooves of their cattle behind in Egypt. They were willing to take along everything they possessed to the wilderness to worship and to sacrifice. Many of us pay only lip service and offer nothing costly to the Lord.
Don’t pay attention to what people say; pay attention to what they give.
Your giving reflects your faith:
Your giving reflects your faith. Abraham did not hesitate to offer Isaac as an offering to God because he counted Him faithful. He knew that God was able to bring back to life whatever he gives. Abraham gave Isaac because he accounted of God as able to raise him up, even from the dead.
[Hebrews 11:17-19 KJV] “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure”.
Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac because he counted God faithful. What are you ready to give? what do you think of God? What is too valuable for you to give to God? How can you claim to be a servant of God and you don’t pay tithes. What pastor are you? What Christian are you? I don’t need to be scared by curse before I give my tithes. I give my tithes because I love God.
Your giving reflects your love:
The apostles taught the church at Corinth about how giving is a reflection of love. Your giving shows how much you love the Lord.
In 2 Corinthians 8:8, 23-24, the apostle wrote, “I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ. Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.”
When Mary Magdalene gave the box of Alabaster oil because she loved. Her giving showed how much she loved the Lord.
[Luke 7:36-48 KJV] “And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment”.
“Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty”.
“And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment”.
“Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven”.
You giving reveals your prophetic understanding:
Mary anointed the Lord because she had a prophetic understanding of the times and seasons. She understood by prophetic instinct that the Lord would soon be crucified and buried. She gave as a prophetic act.
[Mark 14:1-9 KJV] “After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people. And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head”.
“And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her”.
“And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her”.
Your giving reflects your loyalty to continue:
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be. Any person who is willing to put their treasure into you or something has decided to stay with you or with that thing.
[Luke 12:33-34 KJV] “Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”.
I know without a doubt that anyone who would not sow into the place he or she benefits from has ulterior motives. People will invest in what they believe in and are loyalty to. Your giving reflects your love and loyalty.
So, these are four things your giving reveal about you: your faith, your love, your understanding, and your loyalty.
Be blessed, I love you!
Noah Simpe Bediako
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4.5
Oh Lord, please have mercy on us and help us to love and serve You with our all, and bot just to offer lip service to You. God bless you for sharing this message Rev. Simpe Bediako