In Deuteronomy 15:7,8, we read:
"If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him …”
This is the final part of Mastering our Finances series. Let’s review what we’ve looked at so far.
In Part #1
We learned that because there’s a number of Bible verses related to money, a right relationship with our finances must be important to God.
Pastor Bill Hybels, in his book Simplify, asked the question, “Are we living within God’s provision for us?
We read how the exact amount of the money Jenny owed for her tuition arrived at the exact moment it was needed.
In Part #2
We read about June Hunt’s “Checklist for Trustworthy Spending”. She began with the question: “How do you know whether you are trustworthy in the way you spend money?” and answered it by saying, “You must first desire to please God in every way that you manage the financial resources He has given to you.”
Moses reminded us in Deuteronomy Chapter 8: “You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, at it is this day.”
Pastor Bill Hybels, again from his book Simply wrote: “You are a daughter or a son of a loving Father in heaven who has given you everything you have, and who invites you to steward your talents, gifts, education, opportunities and possessions for His purposes in the world.”
In Part #3
We said no to the myth that if we live a godly Christian life, we will do well financially; and, we noted that it’s the love of money that’s a root of all kinds of evil, not money itself.
We read Norman Versteeg’s confession that tithing was a way for God to get all of him. “I am His,” Norman said, “and so is what I sometimes think of as mine.”
We remember Ellen White’s words: “The sower multiplies his seed by casting it away. So it is with those who are faithful in distributing God’s gifts. By imparting, they increase their blessings.”
Now, in Part #4, as we add more verses to the Biblical Framework of our Financial Stewardship Strategy, let's think about what the world needs and how the God want to meet those needs through us.
Malachi 3:10 says:
“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me in this,” says the Lord of Hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.”
In 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, the Apostle Paul wrote:
“… this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work."
In Deuteronomy 15:7,8, we read:
"If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him …”
It is with our hands that we give our money to someone at a bank, a credit card company, a mortgage company, a car dealership, the grocery store, the dentist, the gym, the local fast food restaurant and many more people who represent a product or a service. The Bible doesn’t tell us to stop doing that.
But, my brothers and sisters, shall we open our hands wide to our heavenly Father too?
God is faithful. “Try Me in this”, He says, “ and see if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.”
Giving our tithes and offerings is a way to express that we love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, and that we love our neighbour as ourself.
May we express our love and loyalty to God by giving, as Norman Versteeg says, no matter what happens!
May this be so in all of our lives. Amen.