Deuteronomy 16:17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessings of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee.
Words of Moses to the Israelites before they crossed over Jordan into the Promised Land, concerning certain male celebrations and the giving of thanks. He enjoined them that no man should appear before the Lord empty handed, but everyone should give something within his means. The amount itself does not matter as much as the percentage. We should give a fair portion of whatever the good Lord has blessed us with. If he has blessed us with plenty, then we should give plenty, because it’s written; to him that much is given, much is asked. If we only have a little, then we can only give a little, like the poor woman who offered the last mite she had. The basic theme however, is that we give as we have. This goes for everything we do, not only with gifts to the church. Whether it’s money, time or talents, we need to give, and give generously, to share with others less fortunate than us. And believe me, there is always someone worse off than us. Giving is an essential part of our Christian Faith. It’s an integral part of LOVE in action, which defines the way God wants us to live. It’s obvious that we cannot give all that we have, but a lot of us are stingy with our giving, we give much less than we can comfortably afford. And Friends, it’s also important that we give with a willing heart, not grudgingly. The Lord looks upon us more favourably when we give with joy. But a word of caution people: Beware of the false witnesses. In these predatory times when there are so many fraud artists, uncharitable charities, false churches and leaders, and a host of other unsavoury elements out there, constantly reaching out and pleading for help, it’s very important that we be careful whom we give to. Many of us cannot afford to give a whole lot, so it’s doubly important we be sure, that whatever we give, is actually used to help others in real need, and not to simply fatten the pockets of some ungodly crooks and charlatans. Be careful. Give as you can afford, but do your homework first. Much LOVE!…remember…the Lord loves a cheerful giver…
Words of Moses to the Israelites before they crossed over Jordan into the Promised Land, concerning certain male celebrations and the giving of thanks. He enjoined them that no man should appear before the Lord empty handed, but everyone should give something within his means. The amount itself does not matter as much as the percentage. We should give a fair portion of whatever the good Lord has blessed us with. If he has blessed us with plenty, then we should give plenty, because it’s written; to him that much is given, much is asked. If we only have a little, then we can only give a little, like the poor woman who offered the last mite she had. The basic theme however, is that we give as we have. This goes for everything we do, not only with gifts to the church. Whether it’s money, time or talents, we need to give, and give generously, to share with others less fortunate than us. And believe me, there is always someone worse off than us. Giving is an essential part of our Christian Faith. It’s an integral part of LOVE in action, which defines the way God wants us to live. It’s obvious that we cannot give all that we have, but a lot of us are stingy with our giving, we give much less than we can comfortably afford. And Friends, it’s also important that we give with a willing heart, not grudgingly. The Lord looks upon us more favourably when we give with joy. But a word of caution people: Beware of the false witnesses. In these predatory times when there are so many fraud artists, uncharitable charities, false churches and leaders, and a host of other unsavoury elements out there, constantly reaching out and pleading for help, it’s very important that we be careful whom we give to. Many of us cannot afford to give a whole lot, so it’s doubly important we be sure, that whatever we give, is actually used to help others in real need, and not to simply fatten the pockets of some ungodly crooks and charlatans. Be careful. Give as you can afford, but do your homework first. Much LOVE!…remember…the Lord loves a cheerful giver…
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