Thursday – Letters

Reading 1 Corinthians 15-16

Highlight Verse:

“On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭16‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There’s just a few short lines about giving in this letter. But, they are very telling.

The way Paul words these lines implies that giving is already on the minds of the people of Corinth. He just gives them a little advice to make it go more smoothly.

The lesson I get out of those short lines is to give regularly and don’t fall behind in your giving.

To that end, before I started writing I checked to be sure we were current on our giving. I forgot to tithe on my wife’s last paycheck! Don’t worry, I took care of it so I can write this without feeling like a hypocrite.

There are many other teachings about money. I won’t go into all those here.

What I will say is that giving on a regular basis is a freeing experience.

It is easy to become a slave to the almighty dollar (or Euro or whatever is in your country). Giving a portion of it to the church and/or other ministries frees you from that slavery and helps you trust that God has it all under control.

I know it’s easier for some to give than others. There’s been times in my own life when it has been very tough to give. It’s not easy right now.

But I’ve never been able to outgive God.

No matter how dire the situation, He has always pulled me through. Usually, when I’m giving regularly, I find He provides me with more than what I’ve given.

Do you have stories you can share of how God has provided for you when you’ve given regularly?
If you have a difficult time trusting God to provide for you, what would it take to earn that trust?