Sweet as Honey

Not that many years ago I recall my grandfather driving all around near his farm delivering his homegrown sweet corn to his neighbors. He wasn’t selling it though, he was giving it away. He did that every year I can remember, he loved to share that with them.  And every year, without fail, he’d say it was “Sweet as honey”. The family always got a chuckle out of that.  But he modelled to us a love of giving. 

As I look at our church folks I often see the same spirit. People there do many things to make sure things run smoothly and when there’s a need they do what they can to meet it.  Yet I don’t think a strong desire to give is something we’re born with its something thats nurtured and especially so as we grow closer in our walk with Christ.   We naturally want to hang on to what we have and are slow to let go and give thinking if we do that we’ll be the loser in the end.  But the ironic thing about giving for God is that the very opposite occurs !

Another man who had a great influence upon me for giving used to say “You can’t outgive the Lord !” He was so right.  You reap what you sow (Gal.6:7) and that applies to how we give.  But some time back I came across a wonderful verse and started to meditate upon it:  “He that hath pity upon the poor lends UNTO THE LORD; and that which he hath given will He pay him again” !    (Prov.19:17) – when you give to someone in genuine need you’re not just giving to them, but Him !  And even if that person to whom you share your resources has no means presently to pay you back or if its given with the intention of no pay back, a true gift, then God is going to take care of your needs !!  Its a win-win !

Now we aren’t to give to get but when we give out of compassion (pity) God NOTICES and He takes care of YOU. Giving is really a matter of faith, do you believe when you see a need and by choosing to give you will give up some time, money, energy that you’ll end up just fine? Or do you refrain to give because of the cost and thinking you’ll lose somehow?  Trust God, pure and simple  and sit back and enjoy God’s loving and giving response back !   

A young man who was at Penn State told me a story from his church about giving once. He said the church was in desperate need of fixing their parking lot as it was causing some water issues so they wanted it paved. A man had started to come to the church who had a paving business but he was having great difficulty and was close to losing his business.  The pastor approached him asking him to do it in faith for the Lord either free or at a low cost. He chose to totally donate his time and the material for God’s house and shortly thereafter his business took off dramatically !   That great offering from this man must’ve been “sweet as honey” to God !  What will yours be this week?