Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser
Ever wondered why there is a need for us to give to God? In the tapestry of Christian faith, the practice of giving to God emerges as a vibrant thread woven with theological depth and spiritual significance. Rooted in gratitude, obedience to Biblical principles, and a recognition of God’s sovereignty, the act of giving encompasses various forms – be it financial contributions, the offering of talents, or the dedicated investment of time. This sacred practice not only reflects a commitment to worship and stewardship, but also resonates with the core Christian values of compassion, generosity, and a profound trust in God’s providence. In this message, I share how your gift placed in God’s hand can only be multiplied back to you. Be enlightened as you see how you can never outgive the One who keeps giving to you.
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (Mathew 2:1-2)
11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Mathew 2:11)
They gave extremely valuable gifts to the child Christ Jesus. My question is, why did the wise men give gifts to Jesus? Giving gifts to the Lord Jesus was a sign of great respect and honour.
Giving is a way to honour God. The wise men understood how to honour God. They understood Him to be the Christ of Israel and worthy of worship. They had a sense of paying homage to a royal superior. The wise men fell down before the child in a gesture of deep respect and submission. They honoured the child Jesus. Then when Jesus grew up and started his ministry, the Bible says some women sponsored him. Jesus and his disciples depended on the goodness of others to provide daily provisions and a place to sleep.
Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, 2 and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities – Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, 3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance. (Luke 8:1-3)
Among them were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Salome. In Galilee, these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Apparently, these good women assisted in the Lord’s sustenance because they “ministered unto him of their substance” (v. 3), meaning they gave to him from their own resources. They honoured the Lord Jesus. Let me just make a connection here that this is not a new thought. This goes all the way back to the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament, which says, “Honour the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of your increase.”
“Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the first fruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10).
Scripture gives many reasons for giving, but this verse says it is a way to honour God. The word ‘honour’ means respecting, trusting, or valuing. If you aren’t honouring the Lord with your substance then the implication is that you don’t value his words and you don’t value his promises. You need to honour the Lord with your substance. The implication is that if you aren’t giving and trusting God in this area of finances, you are not honouring God. Therefore, those who don’t give don’t honour Him.
You may say I honour God. And I want to ask you, do you give consistently all the time or just occasionally or when it’s convenient? The Bible says that you’re supposed to give a tithe (10% of your income). Are you saying I don’t give all the time or I don’t give 10% of my income but I honour God? This scripture says you honour the Lord with your substance. You can say what you want to say, but this is what the word says and notice, we are to give God the first fruits, not the last fruits. It says “and with the first fruits of your increase,” not the last fruits of your increase.
" Giving to the Lord doesn’t subtract from you, but instead it increases you supernaturally. "
We are supposed to tithe and give off the top, not the bottom. You don’t just pay your own bills and do everything you want to, and if you have something left over you give to God. That’s not honouring God with your first fruits. You aren’t honouring God. I’m not saying these things to condemn you. I’m saying it to enlighten you because you aren’t going to hear this very often. We are to seek first the kingdom of God in our giving (Mathew 6:33), and then God will add the other things we need. Giving to the Lord doesn’t subtract from us, but instead increases us supernaturally. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Mathew 6:33)
Give God your best, because he first loved us. When we were yet sinners Christ died for us. So why do people find it so hard to honour God with their possessions or wealth? It’s because they are leaning on their own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Then Proverbs 3:9 is an example of trusting in the Lord: “Honour the Lord with your possessions, And with the first fruits of all your increase. In other words, some people don’t acknowledge God in all their ways. 6 “In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:6).
People may acknowledge God and come to salvation. They may even pray about their marriage and find the spouse that God has for them. But when it comes to finances, the Bible says “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38). The Bible says that you’re supposed to give a tithe; “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it” (Malachi 3:10). The Bible says that you reap what you sow; “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:7-9).
Many other scriptures command us to honour God with our wealth, and yet there are many Christians who just say well, I don’t care what the Bible says. You probably wouldn’t say it that directly, but your actions speak to that and it proves that you aren’t trusting in the Lord with all your heart. You’re leaning on your own understanding. You aren’t acknowledging him in all your ways and therefore he’s not directing your path because you aren’t receiving his instruction. Renew your mind with the word of God. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2). Those who are conformed to this world system think it’s crazy for people to tithe and give over and above a tithe. They think you need this, just keep it, take care of yourself, put self first, That’s the way that the wisdom of this world operates, but that’s not the wisdom of God.
He goes on to say in the next verse, “So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. This is a follow-up to the previous verse that when you honour the Lord with your substance and you give him the first fruits, you give to God first (Matthew 6:33), and you seek first the kingdom of God. When you do these things, then your barns will be filled with plenty and your presses will burst out with new wine. This is talking about abundance, physical abundance. What if we don’t have any barns for the Lord to fill or a press for the wine to overflow? We have to prepare for God’s blessing by faith. Many people have missed God’s provision because they weren’t prepared. They only had a little cup for the Lord to fill when He wanted to fill their barns! God wants you to receive His best!
