Psalm 37:25
1 Peter 5:7
Isaiah 26:3
Lesson 2: A Joyful Giver
The reason many believers are not significant givers is because they have never been significant receivers. They have never fully accepted God’s extraordinary flow of unconditional love that constantly pours over them. Until you fully receive God’s unconditional love, you will never be passionately motivated to love Him back.
Giving or Leaving
Do you believe that God is powerful enough, wise enough, and loving enough to take care of you without your help? When you can finally and fully trust God for your care and provision, you will never again need to worry about giving too much away during your lifetime.
A Bridge or a Barrier
When abundant provisions appear, they can create a barrier that limits our ability to trust God more fully. I have seen this in my own life and the lives of many others. The more we possess, the more likely we are to trust Him less. In other words, the more He provides, the less we trust Him to provide. Odd phenomenon, isn’t it?
Trust Matters
The Bible repeatedly admonishes us to trust in the Lord. For example, we are told to trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5, NASB). However, because of our fallen and selfish nature, we are inclined to put our trust in anything or anyone but the Lord.
When Counting is Wrong
The issue of ownership is the central demand of the gospel. Are we willing to surrender everything, give it all up, return back to the rightful Owner everything we have claimed to be our own? When we find ourselves tempted to count what we own, we must remember, it doesn’t take very long to count nothing! Do you count your stuff as the owner or as His steward?
Manna in the Wilderness
Everything about God’s miraculous mealtime plan for His people seems to fly squarely in the face of our well-accepted American version of Christianity. Contemplate how this might apply to how we steward the life and resources God has entrusted to us. There are three simple insights this story reveals regarding how God wants to be in relationship with His people.