“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” – Genesis 1:1
LIGHT FOR NOW: Giving shows honor, respect, and faith in God.
God created everything; the earth, heaven, sun, moon, stars, animals, etc; then he gave them all to man. Genesis 1:26-28 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth”. God made everything for man. Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein”. The earth is the Lord’s and he gave it to man, so the first giver is God. From Abel down to the Patriarchs, we see a culture of giving.
• Abel brought an offering in Genesis 4, God did not need this, but it was a show of faith in God.
• Noah built an Ark to preserve mankind by this act he was giving.
• Abraham in Genesis 11 and 12 met Melchizedek on his way back from war where he had gone to rescue his nephew, Lot. He gave Melchizedek a tenth of all that he brought back.
• In Genesis 28, Jacob also asked the Lord to preserve him, and he would give him a tenth of all his possessions.
In all these instances, we see a culture of giving; some gave their only, some all, and others part of what they had. As believers, it is imperative to acknowledge that you came to the world with nothing and that you will not go with anything. All that you possess has been given to you. Giving shows:
• Honor and,
• Faith in God
Giving is to respect god. It does not add to God. Your giving is not to make God who He is, God is who he is, God is who he is before we ever conceived giving. So, giving is honor. Glory!
INSTRUCTION: Honor God in your giving.
CONFESSION: I am a believer; I have a culture of giving. I give because it is my nature to do so, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
QUOTE: The culture of giving should come out of the believers’ nature.
DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: GENESIS CHAPTER 4; EVENING: GENESIS CHAPTER 11
LIGHT FROM THE WORD 