Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Randy Alcorn
The Greatest of All Givers
Who gave more than God? No one has because “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). You can give your own life for the Gospel’s sake, but you can never give more than God gave. It is impossible for us to ever outgive the Giver of all things, that is God, Who gave His only Son to die for us so that we might live.
The Test of Giving
Who can outgive God? He challenges us to “bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need” (Malachi 3:10). Jesus said much the same: “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). Do you believe this?
The Trust in Giving
If we can trust a God we don’t see to save us, why can’t we trust our God to bless us if we bless others? Jesus said Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who are meek, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:3-6). As the Apostle Paul writes, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).
A Harvest of Trust
When the believer sows for the kingdom, he will reap what he has sown. The principle is that of a farmer who never reaps more than he sows but no less than he sows, just as Paul wrote that “whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6) because “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). If we know much about God, then we already know that “he has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever” (2 Corinthians 9:9).
Conclusion
Randy Alcorn is spot on by saying that God is the greatest giver in the universe, and He won’t let you outgive Him in any way. The questions for us are, Do we realize that He gave His only Son for us, that He wants us to test His generosity, that we can trust a giving God, and that we will reap a great harvest if we sow generously? I believe it. Do you?
