Once I was visiting a church in a major city when the minister got up to take the offering. And that's just what he did. He took it. He started by saying that God loves a cheerful giver. Then he went on to say that even though God loves a cheerful giver, that he liked any kind. He just wanted the people to give to his church.

Another time I attended a convention where a strange offering was taken. The convention speaker was from out of state and was relatively well known. When he took the offering, he told the people that God would only speak to them if they gave him seven dollars each. He had all the people leave the meeting one row at a time. They filed past him and gave him seven dollars each. Because it was a convention, the crowd was quite large. It took several hours for all the people to get out of the building. What a joke!

Giving to God is a type of worship. Giving to God is a command of God. We are to worship him with our tithes and offerings; however, we must give with a cheerful heart.

Anytime you talk about giving, there are those who get turned off. Let me say this. I understand.

There have been many abuses by ministries, churches, and church related organizations. I understand why some people are skeptical, but we must not ignore the commands of God because of the abuses of some. Frauds and thieves will be with us until the return of Jesus. The con artists were here on earth 2,000 years ago when Jesus was here and they are still here today. Things have not changed much, but let me say this. God's Word has not changed at all. So with this in mind, let's see what God's Word says.

In 2 Corinthians 9:6 the Bible says, "But 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."

Let me clear the air on something else here. God doesn't need your money. The God who spoke the universes into existence, doesn't need your two dollars and fifteen cents. What He does want, though, is your obedience.

In 2 Corinthians 9:10 the Bible says, "Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness."

When we give to God, the Bible refers to that as sowing seed. When we sow, we reap, and the harvest is larger that the seed sown. The unique thing about this is that God is the one who gives us the seed to sow. The more we sow, the more we reap. The more we reap, the more we sow, and so on and so on. So... sow on!

I heard one man say it this way. We keep shoveling to God and He keeps shoveling back. The only difference is, His shovel is bigger than our shovel.

In Luke 6:38 Jesus said "Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use it will be measured back to you."

Devotion 0059