When You Give Unto the Lord. . . Part 1

"When you give unto the Lord, He will give you more to give. . ."

Congregational Song

"God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have show Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them."

Hebrews 6:10 (NIV)

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Luke 6:38 (NIV)

A few weeks ago, I came across a video clip of Pastor Mike Todd. He was speaking about what worship actually should look like, in the everyday life of a Christian. I quickly reposted it because I totally agreed with the snippet of his message. Not only that but I was actually experiencing some of what he was describing.

The video reminded me of Casey J's song "I'm Yours" as well. The chorus says,
"You can have all of me. . . I'm Yours. I give you all of me. . . I'm Yours." If we truly consider the meaning of the lyrics, can we say that it's the case in each of our lives?

Are we willing to let God use us- however and whenever He pleases? We need to consider the fact that God's requests may not match up to our definition of common or normal. . . Are we good with that?

Let me just tell you. . . I would rather be uncomfortable and OBEY God than remain in my comfort zone and disregard His instructions. {That post will be written at another time.😎}

For now, I'll describe my experience.

Disclaimer: This wasn't the first time that something like this took place but the magnitude of the situation is STILL blowing my mind. . .

Around the time that I saw the clip of Pastor Todd, God had already laid it on my heart to be a (financial yet anonymous) blessing to a friend. I literally organized everything- late morning/early afternoon on a Friday and planned to mail it, the next day.

That night, I went to dinner with another dear friend. Both of us usually stay busy but she insisted on picking me up and having sister/friend time. . . I'm glad we were intentional about it💛. Dinner was delicious & our conversation really encouraged me!

As the night went on, we finished eating, paid for our separate meals, and prepared to leave. Suddenly, I saw her get out her checkbook. I thought to myself, "Wow! She is super organized and thorough. . . already recording the amount of tonight's dinner in her register?! Wow!" Suddenly, she ripped out a check and handed it to me!

That alone caught me off-guard but when I looked at it, I didn't know whether I wanted to scream or pass out. . . She had written a check for the exact amount that I had just prepared to send to my friend- not even 12 hours earlier😲! She told me that she just wanted to be a blessing to me. I contained myself but enthusiastically told her what happened and why her gift was so significant. . . In addition to her thoughtfulness and generosity, I was grateful that God would remind me of His faithfulness in that way! She and I both were so excited about the fact that we were obedient to the Lord's leading!🙌

Just last Sunday, I testified about this situation. I reminded the congregation that it may not always be that we give money and then receive it but God pours His blessings and favor on us in a variety of ways. And we should nurture our relationship with Him so that we will be able to discern when He is leading us to do something.

That (Sunday) night, one of my close friends texted me to ask for my account information on a money-sending app. I laughed and told her that I needed to look it up because I rarely use it. . . I sent it to her and within a minute or two, I received a notification that she'd sent me a gift. When I saw the amount, my eyes started to water. Once again, it was the same amount that I'd sent to my friend!

I told her what happened and she explained to me that while she knew that she wanted to give me something. . . God had led her to give me that specific amount. "God told me to do it and I obeyed. . ." {Also. . . just 2 days later, she messaged me and let me know that after she sent her gift to me, a relative gave her the same amount of money as well.}😉

By now, you may wonder what the title has to do with this account. While (in this case) a physical object was being transferred from one person to another, in a way, we were still giving to God. We handed our securities and our faith. . . even our money over to His Will! And although I can't remember the exact age, my parents have emphasized the importance of regularly giving tithes and offerings since I was young. I've always tried to be diligent about that- even if I happen to be heading out of town.

So now I want to ask. . . What is God leading you to do? How can you be a blessing to others? Are you willing to give yourself over to God's Will- without hesitation. . . even if you don't see an immediate return of your good deed? If this is a struggle, I encourage you to pray about it.

"When you give unto the Lord, He will give you more to give."

A Prayer For You:
Dear Lord, I am your child and servant. Please purify my heart so that it will reflect Your Love. Allow me to hear Your Voice, clearly. Give me the desire to obey You- without question & to give WITHOUT looking for anything in return. Knowing that You are/Your Love is present in my life is more than enough! I am excited to give to and for You! Have Your Way in my life. 

Amen.

*I do not own the rights to this song.*