WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
MARCH 12, 2022
TOPIC: GIVE:Â THERE IS A HARVEST FOR GIVING
BY T. O. BANSO
“Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, for you do not know what evil will be on the earth” (Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 New King James Version).
Giving should be a lifestyle for children of God. It is not something they should do only when they’re in need, there is an emergency, or when they are in need of financial breakthrough or supernatural help.
My belief is that when people give only this way, they make giving or sowing seed look like gambling! And when their expectations are not met after giving this way, they become frustrated. Such people would explode, saying the principle of sowing and reaping is not working. The problem may be that such people have not been told the truth or they have not learnt the truth about sowing and reaping.
Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 says, “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, for you do not know what evil will be on the earth” (New King James Version). There is always a harvest time for every seed time (Genesis 8:22). Whatever you sow, you reap (Galatians 6:7). However, the harvest, most times, is not immediate.
Let nobody confuse or deceive you that he can double or triple for you what you give to God or to him as a gift and set the exact time, day and hour for your harvest! Many people have been disappointed by such supposed prophecies. Only in rare cases will God reveal the exact time of harvests. He alone determines the time and mode of harvests. You must walk with Him by faith.
Giving is not only about money and giving to the church. It could be money, material things, time, help, advice, etc. Peter and John had no money to give to that lame man begging at the gate of the temple called Beautiful, but they had something better to give him. “Then Peter said, ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk’” (Acts 3:6 New King James Version). Sometimes, some people miss it by asking for money from someone they should ask for prayers.
Giving can be to the church, family members, friends, the poor and the needy, neighbours, etc. But it must be given voluntarily and cheerfully not under duress (2 Corinthians 9:7). It has been rightly said that whatever you make happen for others, God will make happen for you. Proverbs 19:17 puts it this way, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, and He will pay back what he has given” (New King James Version).
In the book of Esther, Mordecai, Esther’s uncle, adopted her as his daughter. She was an orphan. He took good care of her; he didn’t abuse her. She was such a beautiful lady that she won a beauty contest during the search for a new queen. King Ahasuerus (King Xerxes) eventually chose her as queen.
But that was not the end of the story. Perhaps, there is a relationship between the seed of good deed that Mordecai sowed into Esther’s life and the progress he made in life. After Esther became the queen, Mordecai too gained promotion on his job in the employment of the king. He eventually became the Prime Minister, the second in command to the king. His good deed towards Esther was not in vain. God gave him a harvest in due season.
If you sow joy into people’s life, God will send someone to make you joyful, too. Luke 6:38 says, “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” (New King James Version).
The generous soul will be made rich; he who waters will also be watered (Proverbs 11:25). “He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses” (Proverbs 28:27 New King James Version).
In the parable of the Sower, the seed that fell on the good ground produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as what had been planted (Mark 4:8). “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6 New King James Version). To sow sparingly means to sow a few seeds or a small number of seeds and to sow bountifully means to sow plentifully. The harvest is always more than the seed sown, but the quality and quantity of your seed affect your harvest.
However, don’t sow ONLY because you want a harvest. You may frustrate yourself if you don’t see the desired harvest in time. But the truth is that God wants you to sow and be enriched so that you can give even more generously (2 Corinthians 9:11). Sow: don’t just be entertaining yourself with fruitless thoughts that people will give to you when you have not given to anyone. Such people end up being beggars.
No seed sown is in vain. Everyone should be a giver, but don’t assume that someone is not a giver because he has not given to you or doesn’t give to you. Nobody is sent to everybody. Give: there’s always a harvest time.
You should give regularly, voluntarily, generously and cheerfully; and if you’re giving to human beings, don’t expect from the beneficiaries a reciprocal gesture. Give, expecting God to reward you; and He knows how He will, and the persons He’ll use.
Don’t store your treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up your treasures in heaven where they are save (Matthew 6:19-21). It is true that you can’t take your resources with you when you die, but you can send them ahead. Don’t be weary, persevere, in giving as you await your harvests (Galatians 6:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:13).
Protect your seed against weeds by avoiding unbelief, bitterness, unforgiveness, etc. Walk in love (1 John 4:7; John 15:12, 17; 13:34; Romans 13:10). Water your seed by continuing to praise God (Psalm 67:5-6). Receive your harvests by confessing the Word of God (Mark 11:23).
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner, and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, help me to be a generous giver, not a beggar. Enable me to cultivate a lifestyle of giving and not just be dreaming about people giving me gifts. Deliver me from stinginess. I shall be faithful in giving to those God has given me resources to bless. Father, I pray that your children will sow bountifully so that they will reap bountifully in Jesus’ name.
(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
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