Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me? {Matthew 19:26}
Years ago I was in a Sunday morning service when the offering plate came around. There was a traveling minister that morning that challenged us to give to the Lord, even when we can’t give anymore. Meaning, even if it’s our last bit of cash and we don’t have anymore to give to others, if the Lord wants us to give it, we should give it. Well, I got fired up over that and thought, “Okay, I’ll give what I have.” When I looked into my purse all I had was a $20 dollar bill. Woah! I was thinking more like $5 for the offering, not $20. I looked for other smaller bills but there were none. All that was staring back at me was that $20 dollar bill. It hurt to give that one up, but there was this tug in my heart to give it all. So I did. Later that afternoon after lunch on our way home, my husband and I stopped by a yard sale. There were all these pretty clothes hanging on a clothes rack in their drive way. I never thought about it, and since we loved to stop at yard sales, we just automatically stopped. By the end of that yard sale I ended up with so many beautiful dresses, suits, coats, and outfits that must have cost several thousand dollars brand new. They were just the perfect clothes I was needing for the new job I was just starting. They were my style too. I couldn’t believe it. Every single one of them were in my size or fit me! All that week I was worrying that I need new clothes for my new job, and I don’t have any money to buy them. I will have to wait for couple of paydays to get them. I can’t afford any of it right now. But these clothes were being offered to me for $3 to $5 per suit, and the lady said that she used to work for an office and has retired now. She said she had gained so much weight that she can’t fit in any of them either. They were in such mint condition. Some of them looked like they weren’t worn at all. Most of those suits were name brands too. My husband ended up paying for all these clothes for about $50 to $60 total. There must have been over twenty outfits there and a couple of beautiful wool coats also. There were so many that these clothes lasted me for years to come. Not only did I wear them to work, but I also wore them to church – they were so beautiful.
The Bible tells us that we could never out-give God, even when you think you’re at your last dollar or your last penny. If you want to believe that God will come through and bless you, challenge Him. Have Him give to you, by you giving to His cause. Ask Him where you should sow your seed and He will show you. If you trust Him fully with your heart to come through, He surely will come through for you. In the Book of Luke, Jesus tells us,
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. {Luke 6:38}
Sometimes it will not make any sense to give. You’re feeling the pinch yourself. It is so uncomfortable to be running low yourself, and the Holy Spirit is telling you to give to others more in need than you. It just goes against your grain. But if you will toughen up and take the challenge the Holy Spirit is putting out there for you to take, I promise you, you will not be disappointed. I’ve heard of people giving everything up they have in their savings and God coming through for them.
There was this minister I heard a few years ago who shared his testimony in his preaching about giving up $6,000 dollars he saved in his bank account, to a minister who came to him needing to have his car fixed. The Lord told him to give up his savings to this minister. He told the Lord, “Lord that six grand is all I have. The children could end up needing their teeth fixed.” He was coming up with all these excuses to the Lord why he shouldn’t give up his six grand to his minister friend. He told the Lord that he needed a car himself. His car wasn’t even doing that well either. He needed a new car. Finally he drew up the check and gave it to his friend. A couple of weeks later a call came to his office from a car dealership on the other end of the line, telling him that a brand new car was waiting for him in their showroom. He couldn’t believe it. He was like, there’s got to be some mistake I didn’t order or buy a car. To make a long story short, a man out of town had bought him a new car and paid for it. And there it was on the show room floor with his name on it. His brand new car.
In the Bible there was a great famine in Israel during Prophet Elijah’s time. The Lord told Elijah to go to this widow’s house, because she will feed him. When he got there he asked for her to bring him food. She told him that they were about to make their last small meal of flour and oil, and they expected to die after that. He told her they will not die, only she needs to give him that last serving of flour and oil, and make that cake for him so he could eat as he was hungry. Then He told her not to be afraid, that the Lord said to him, the flour and oil will not fail or stop coming until the day the Lord sends rain. I’m sure this widow wondered about it, maybe even feared that Elijah could end up being wrong. But in the end she handed her future to the Lord and believed Elijah. She made that cake and fed him their last meal. And sure enough the Lord came through to His word. The whole entire time of the famine, and it lasted for a few years too, this widow with her family including Elijah of course, ate and lived.
The scripture tells us that nothing is too hard with God. There is nothing impossible with Him. The Lord God fed the children of Israel in the time of the wilderness (after they had left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea). They never went hungry for the forty years they walked back and forth in that wilderness. There was always the manna in the morning and water from the rock that followed them. Their clothes never wore off them, neither did their cattle starve and die. Not only that, during the day when it was so hot in the wilderness, the Lord had provided a cloud to cool them. And at night when it got cold and pitch black, this cloud became a pillar of fire floating over the tabernacle, to warm them and light their way through the camp. God provided for His people, they never lacked for anything they needed.
It doesn’t matter what our situation is in this life, even if it looks impossible to have it fixed. If we set our eyes on Jesus and trust Him to take care of us, He will take care of us. Remember that time with the Lord when He fed thousands of people in the wilderness? Twice He did this because the people had been following Him for days, and there were no stores or bakeries around to get and buy bread from. They were hungry. But whatever they had, no matter how small it was (a few fish and couple of loaves of bread), Jesus was able to multiply them to feed the people. And at the end of those meals, there were even left overs! Baskets of them that Jesus told them to gather them up and save them.
Even the Lord provided to pay a tax collector who Peter was worrying about. He told Peter to go fishing, and the very first fish he brings up will have a coin in it. He told Peter to go and pay the taxes for both of them. How did the Lord do that? How did He know there will be a coin in that fish? It doesn’t matter how, what matters is that the Lord did it. Don’t worry about how God is going to take care of your situation, just believe that He can and He will. Because having faith pleases Him. It encourages the Lord to come through for us when we believe in Him. It makes Him want to be our Superhero! The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. {Hebrews 13:8} If He can do the miracles He did in the disciples’ time, you better believe it, He can do it again today. Nothing is too hard for Him. Jesus tells us,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. {John 14:12}
Remember God made us and created us. He put breath in each and every one of us. We didn’t bring ourselves to life here on earth, God did. We wouldn’t be where we are right now if it wasn’t for the Lord causing us to live. Anything could have happened to us already from the time we were born to the time you are reading this blogpost. But He has kept you this far because He cares for you and has a purpose in your life. He is the one that has brought you to this world, and He’s the one who will keep you until the end. He will continue to keep you as long as you hope and trust in Him.
Trust Him even if it doesn’t make sense to do well, or to give to others when you yourself are having a hard time. God will surely provide for you, even more than you could imagine. If you want to give to the Lord today so He can bless you, ask Him to show you where He needs you to give. Your exercise of faith in Him will surely turn around and bless you. Not just what you are looking for and needing, but also the joy and peace that the world could never ever give. The Bible tells us,
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. {Philippians 4:19}
He knows how to provide for His people. He knows how to provide for you.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. {2 Corinthians 9:8}
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. {Psalm 23:1}
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. {Philippians 4:6-7}
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. {Matthew 19:26}
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. {Hebrews 11:6}
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. {Ephesians 3:21}
Prayer
Thank You Lord that You are good and faithful. Thank You that there is nothing too hard with You. I know that You are with me and that You will never leave me nor forsake me.
Please Lord Jesus, help me to trust You especially when things are difficult. Help me to believe that You will come through for me even when things aren’t going so well. And when You tell me to give to someone and give up what I have, and I’m afraid to give up for someone’s else sake, please Father, help me to do it. Help me to have faith in Your love for me that You will never ever leave me nor forsake me. Help me to give. Help me to trust in You. I know You are faithful and true until the end. I know You know how to provide for all of my needs. Show me today Father where I can give to be a blessing for Your kingdom. I hope and trust in You Father. I thank You for Your great love for me. In Your wonderful name, Jesus, I pray. Thank You, Father. Amen.
