Having said that, there is something so wonderful about looking over the previous year and truly recalling all the things that God has seen us through. There are lessons that lye in everything the year brought us. The good, the bad and the ugly, they all can teach us something if we are willing to look deeply for the lesson. And then we can do one of my favorite things, hold God's promise to the situation that He will take everything we have gone through and make it work for good. Take a look back to January, take a look at a difficulty you may have been facing then. Hold the lens of God's promise to the situation and see how God has turned that situation for His good. And if you can't see the good yet, keep your eyes open because it's promised to take place!
This year for my little family has been a year of just ridiculous miracles! God did something for us that I never in my wildest dreams imagined He would do. And yet, why didn't I? I should know by now that God is in the barn bursting business! The great thing about miracles is that they often require two parts, our part and then God's part. The Bible is all about sowing and reaping right? So what we sow here in the flesh, we can expect to reap a harvest in that area. We SHOULD expect it anyhow. But then our brains take over and we start over thinking everything and because we can't reason HOW God will perform the miracle then we just stop expecting it to happen all together.
I have the privilege every week to lead our congregation in Worship through giving of tithes & offerings to the Lord. It's indeed a privilege to be part of this phenomenal principle that God has given us! I remember when I first learned this principle, I was a teenager in youth group so I got to start this at a young age. Giving to God's House was something I never felt guilted into doing, again, I felt it a privilege that God wanted to use me in this area. Trust me, He didn't NEED my minimum wage tithe from Taco Bell! But what He did need, and what He did use, was my obedience. And please hear me, I don't share this like I've mastered the area of giving. I'm as stingy and greedy and self-centered as they come. But I'm also a work in progress so God's been gracious with me in this area and given me such a love for this principle. And I fully, 100% believe that is why our family saw the miracle that we saw this year. It's a tad to personal to share the details but ya gotta trust me when I say He did a miracle!
One of my all time favorite scriptures on giving is found in 2 Corinthians 9. It says, "Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say,
“They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”
10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. 11 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."
I love this! So much in this passage to grab from. I love that in verse 9, Paul is quoting out of Psalm 112, encouraging us to be people that share freely and people that give to the poor. Seeing the Old Testament in the New Testament is such a cool thing to me.
This is absolutely a promise for us! God's not concerned with the amount that we give, He is concerned with our heart when we give it. He knows how much income we have and He knows what we can give to stretch our faith, so the amount of our giving is not the issue here...it's how we give it. It is imperative to be a giver. Bottom line. It just is.
I share this particular topic because I believe it's why we saw such a wonderful miracle take place for us, we can directly trace our part of the miracle to the fact that we wholeheartedly love this principle.
Now back to YOUR miracle. What do you have need of today? Sow a seed in that area. If you need a friend, show yourself friendly. If you are believing for God to restore a relationship, encourage someone else in theirs. If you have a great financial need today, sow a seed to your local Church or a ministry you believe in. If you are believing for a loved one's salvation, sow a seed of prayer for them today, send an encouraging note or phone call. Sow a seed! Sowing isn't just related to finances, it's in everything that we do. We sow seeds, we reap the harvest. Verse 10 promises that God will increase our resources and produce a great harvest of generosity in us. I could stand to be more generous, how about you? I can give more, I can love more, I can smile more, I can serve more...I can DO more. I can be more generous. So today I'm believing this verse all over again for myself. I'm expecting INCREASE in every area of my life in 2015. After all, God is in the barn bursting business.
Happy New Year!
