Giving Is A Relationship With The Lord

Luke 6:38:“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

What a great promise for the Child of God. Let me give it to you from the New Living Translation. “Give and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full-pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” 

You, as a congregation, are unbelievable and so generous. As you many of you know, years ago, we decided to no longer pass the offering plates. The decision came after I read that the Lord loves a cheerful giver, or in other words, if the Lord has to force it out of you He doesn’t want it. But for over 25 years you have shown that generosity. 

What does it take for the above verse to become a reality in a person’s life? I believe that first, a person should believe that everything they own belongs to the Lord and that He has given it to you for you to steward. Remember the Parable that Jesus told about the Talents? The day is coming when the Lord will return just like the man in the parable to see what we have done with the things He has allowed us to use.

I also believe there is an understanding of first fruits. Remember that Israel was to give the first fruits of the harvest to the Lord. Not doing this is what got Israel into trouble where they went into captivity. The Lord wants us to develop an attitude of first fruits, that we give to Him first before anything else. I believe that the Lord asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac because Isaac was the first born, of course God stopped Abraham. Why were the Israelites stopped from taking part of the valuables of Jericho? Because it was the first city they conquered in the Promise Land. God always gets the first fruits.

Giving is a relationship with the Lord and if you love Him I believe you will give. All I know is that Crickett and I have been blessed by the Lord for when we were married we decided to begin to tithe and we can say that Philippians 4:19 is true. For it says, “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus.” And He has done that in all the years we have been married. 

Pastor Lee Cruse. I want to say from the bottom of my heart I want to thank you and I pray the Lord will continue to bless you and your family.