Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

“Each one should give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly^[a] or from compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

2 Corinthians 9:7

Giving because you have to is a chore. It’s a burden. It’s taking what you don’t want to release. It is NOT a benefit. It is NOT a blessing. It is NOT true giving. Which means none of the benefits of giving will be yours. Really, it’s more like you let yourself get robbed. It’s a pew-by mugging. I and many millions of other believers have spent our lives being squeezed – or have we?

Giving is a good thing. It is how we support the church as a series of facilities and programs. To get those facilities and programs, bills need to be paid, salaries need to be paid, equipment needs to be purchased, everything needs maintenance, and funding needs to be available for all of it. Bigger ministries might need vehicles in order to function. Even planes are just equipment, enabling ministries and programs to reach more people than a public schedule could possibly meet – and in some cases reach areas that public airlines don’t service. In that way, they are exactly the same as any large secular business (making airplanes available to staff to make meetings and conferences around the world). Provided any personal agenda is paid for by the individuals and not the ministry, doesn’t interfere with the ministry programs, and is available to the MINISTRY (not the particular individual), I don’t see how ANYONE could be upset about this flying piece of equipment. All those are reasons why churches want people to give. We should all be given an opportunity to give where we are getting teaching, not made to feel forced. It is an opportunity for US to get blessed, after all. Not everyone wants to get blessed – as crazy as that sounds.

“I have shown you with respect to all things that by working hard in this way it is necessary to help those who are in need, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”” (Acts 20:35). We work so that we can bless other people. We get blessed so that we can bless other people. Everything we DO is about blessing other people. Whether that is spiritually, emotionally, relationally, physically, or financially. It makes NO difference. We are here to serve others and giving is a VERY effective way of serving. It cannot be forced, however, but led. Jesus Himself did not bless everyone He met. But He did it with enough frequency that a middle of a Feast sudden blessing was not unexpected (John 13:29). We give when ADONAI says we should. It’s a WONDERFUL opportunity. I get EXCITED whenever we get to expand our giving. When we get new opportunities. And I am believing for even greater opportunities to come. It’s such a BLESSING to bless others with our giving.

There are two realities with heart-felt, un-forced giving. First, we don’t give to get, but we will get if we give. “Give, and it will be given to you, a good measure—pressed down, shaken, overflowing—they will pour out into your lap. For with the measure by which you measure out, it will be measured out to you in return” (Luke 6:38). If you give little, you get little. If you give a lot, you get a lot. IF you are giving joyfully. IF you have been led by Adonai and not a slick-tongued guilt-tripper. It is EXACTLY like SEED. When you plant seed, you EXPECT a harvest. You’re not seeding because you’re greedy. You’re seeding because you are a FARMER. This is WHAT YOU DO. Giving in Jesus works the SAME WAY. You have a need? Plant a seed. THAT is Word-based giving. THAT is how you can be joyful. Yes, that seed will bless someone (insert cheering here). Yes, that seed will return a harvest (insert cheering here). But it is JESUS who enables us to give and to get and THAT is where our joy should be centred.

The second reality with heart-felt, un-forced giving is that it will NEVER deplete you. We HAVE to be willing to spend. Money or time or effort or physical items or whatever you are giving WILL LEAVE. But you will get them back plus more. The more we give, the more He gives us (Matthew 25:14-30). We don’t even need to ask for it back, because He meets ALL our needs BEFORE we ask Him (Matthew 6:31-32). You can’t out give Adonai. And Adonai NEVER forgets or overlooks truly joyful giving. “He who lends to Yahweh is he who is kind to the poor, and his benefits he will repay to him” (Proverbs 19:17). “He who is generous will be blessed, for he gives to the poor from his own bread” (Proverbs 22:9). We may have less for a TIME, but in the end? We will have back what we gave AND have more so that we can do it again, but in a GREATER capacity. If we are faithful with the small giving, we will have the opportunity to be faithful in larger and larger giving.

Ruach HaKodesh will remind you of what Jesus said about giving. About blessing others. About serving. You should see that giving away from what we have (to Adonai first, and then – as HE leads – to others) is a positive thing. It isn’t a negative. It doesn’t shrink us. It isn’t something to dread. We should be looking forward to it. Not nickel and dime-ing it, riding the ten percent tithe line (Genesis 14:20) and striving never to go over. This isn’t bookkeeping. This is BLESSING. If you want to increase, you need to develop a GENEROUS heart. Everything belongs to Adonai (Psalm 24:1). We are HOLDING things, we are STEWARDING things, we do not OWN things. They are ALL His, not ours. Enjoy them while you have them and NEVER fear or regret or avoid giving them away when He asks. He never takes something from you unless it is a benefit to you. EVER. That can mean something better coming your way, that can mean something was taking too tight a hold in your heart, or maybe you just needed the extra joy of being able to give that day. Giving, led by Ruach HaKodesh, is ALWAYS a route to being BLESSED by Adonai.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: Genesis 4:3-4

“And in the course of time Cain brought an offering from the fruit of the ground to Yahweh, and Abel also brought an offering from the choicest firstlings of his flock. And Yahweh looked with favor to Abel and to his offering.” This is great! No Law had been given yet. No codified need for it. No official ten percent tithe yet. And here these boys were GIVING to Adonai. Their father Adam or their mother Eve had taught them the importance of giving to Adonai. It was one of the lessons of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil – which they failed. Some things BELONG to Adonai. Giving to Him is a source of favour for us. Adonai didn’t make them wait. There was opportunity in the Garden and there was ALSO opportunity the minute they LEFT the Garden. Adonai ALWAYS gives us the opportunity because he is ALWAYS looking for a reason to show us FAVOUR. He LOVES to do it! He REFUSES to keep it from us! He is a GENEROUS and MERCIFUL Father. He has SUCH a heart of love toward us. He has SUCH a desire to see us HIGHLY FAVOURED and BLESSED. He NEVER stops giving us the opportunity to give to Him, give to others, and build a lifestyle of FAVOUR. What a GOOD God!

Your Daily Confession of Elohim’s Goodness:

I taste and see that Yahweh is good; I am blessed because I take refuge in Him.

Psalm 34:8