HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 149
page A147
But I’m just barely making it with my budget. What if I don’t seem to have
enough to give?
• PR O VE R B S 3 :9 -1 0 | Honor the Lord . . . with the best part of everything you produce.
Then he will fill your barns with grain.
• MA L A C H I 3 :1 0 | “Bring all the tithes. . . . If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
“I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t
have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!”
God promises to provide for you when you give back to him.
• 2 C O R I NT H I A NS 9 :8 | God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have
everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.
If we’re not careful, we will never think we have enough. The secret to happiness is learning to be content with what we have, whether it is much or little, and learning how to live
abundantly even with little (See Philippians 4:11-12).
What are some principles of giving for those in Christian work?
• NU MB E R S 1 8 :2 5 -2 6 | “Give these instructions to the Levites: When you receive from the
people of Israel the tithes I have assigned as your allotment, give a tenth of the tithes you
receive.” (See note on page 140.)
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Those who live on tithes and offerings are not exempted from giving to the Lord.
• J O SH U A 1 8 :7 | “The Levites, however, will not receive any allotment of land. Their role as
priests of the Lord is their allotment.” (See note on page 209.)
How has God shown generosity toward me?
• R O MA NS 5 :1 5 | But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious
gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s
wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.
• R O MA NS 1 0 :1 2 | The . . . Lord . . . gives generously to all who call on him.
God has generously offered you the gift of life forever in a perfect world. All you have to
do is accept it and believe that he’s really giving you such a magnificent gift. If God were
not a generous and compassionate God, he might have made his followers work for their
salvation, or he might have given only a privileged few the chance to get into heaven. But
he offers the same gift to all. What is hard to believe is how few accept it.
• T I T U S 3 :6 | He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.
God has also generously given the Holy Spirit to all who believe in him. God doesn’t
provide his presence just to the super righteous or the giants of faith. He provides his
presence to everyone who chooses to believe in him.
• 1 C O R I NT H I A NS 1 2 :1 , 4 , 6 -7 , 11, 18, 22, 27 | Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding
your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. . . . There are different kinds
of spiritual gifts. . . . A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. . . . It
is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each
person should have. . . . Our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where
he wants it. . . . In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are
actually the most necessary. . . . All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a
part of it.
God gives every person special abilities and every believer unique spiritual gifts.
What are the benefits of generosity?
• 2 C O R I NT H I A NS 9 :1 1 -1 4 | Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always
be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So
two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers . . . will
be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God. As a result of your ministry, they
will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you
HelpFinder
Those in full-time Christian work often forgo material wealth and, therefore, an inheritance
to pass along. They need our regular support.