In this chapter we will cover monetary offering and giving. After a person has sold everything, he will still receive income; money will still find its way back to his hand. How should he manage his money? Even after a person has offered up all of his money, we should not think that money will no longer have an influence on him. Some people can give away their money all at once, but money can gradually regain its power over them. Eventually, they will consider their money to be their own once again. Therefore, a believer must learn to continually let go of his money.
The Christian way of managing wealth is completely different from that of an unbeliever. The Christian way of financial management is the way of giving. The unbeliever’s way is the way of accumulating. Today we are concerned with how a Christian should live in order to be free from want. God has promised us that we will have no lack on earth. The birds of the air have no lack of food, and the flowers of the field have no lack of clothing. Even so God’s children should have no lack of clothing and food. If they have any lack, there must be a reason or cause for it. If a brother is financially hard-pressed, he is not managing his wealth according to God’s principle.
After you have forsaken all of your possessions to follow the Lord, you should walk according to God’s principle. If you do not follow God’s principle, you will eventually end up in poverty. There is a great need for many of God’s children to learn to manage their wealth. If they do not learn to manage their wealth, they should expect nothing except hardship in the way ahead of them. Today we want to consider the way to attain God’s prosperity.
As believers we have to look to the Lord for our food, clothing, and other needs while we live on earth today. Without God’s mercy, we cannot pass through our days on earth. This is true even for the rich ones; they have to look to the Lord also. During World War II, we saw many rich people stripped of clothing and food. One day many people will be in remorse over their wealth. Paul warned us not to depend on unpredictable riches. A greedy person is always an anxious person. Those who trust in the Lord may not have much in the way of savings, but the Lord will not leave them in difficulties. He can supply all their needs. However, we must also realize that God’s supply is with conditions.
If God can feed the birds in the air, He can keep us alive. In reality, no one can feed all the birds or supply enough fertilizer to grow all the lilies of the field. But God has enough riches to keep the birds of the air and the lilies of the field alive. He also has enough riches to keep His children alive. God does not want to see us come short in anything. He does not want our living to be deprived in any way. Everyone who falls into deprivation falls because he has a problem in himself; he has not managed his wealth according to God’s way. If we manage our money according to God’s law, we will not be in poverty.
Let us read Luke 6:38. This portion of the Word describes the type of person God will supply. God is always willing to supply. When He supplies us, the supply can come in such abundance that it comes out of our mouth and even becomes loathsome to us, as described in Exodus. God has no problem in doing such a thing. We should never think that God is poor. The cattle upon a thousand hills are His, and the goats upon ten thousand hills are His. If everything belongs to Him, why are God’s children poor? Why do His children experience lack? It is not because God cannot supply. Rather, we need to meet His requirements before we can receive His supply. We need to meet certain conditions before our prayers can be answered. Even our salvation had certain requirements to it—we had to believe. Every promise has conditions, and we must fulfill these conditions before we can receive the promise. Likewise, we need to fulfill God’s requirements before we can receive His supply. His requirement is to give. The Lord says, “Give, and it will be given to you.”