Cheerful Giver

“…whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully…God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Tithing is an Old Testament concept found in Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:26; Deuteronomy 14:24; 2 Chronicles 31:5, etc. The Jews were supposed to give 10% of their produce to the Lord. In the New Covenant, nowhere does it mention 10%, but Paul said in 2 Corinthians 9:7, that  man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 

To me, tithing or giving has a lot to do with partnering with the Lord in His work. It’s like investing some capital in the Lord’s business. Whether we give or not, His Kingdom will grow, just like the tiny mustard seed would grow into a tree in Matthew 13. We would like to be a part of that for surely there is much gain involved, eternal profit!

If we happened to invest $10,000 on Apple’s IPO back in Dec. 12, 1980, today our stock would be worth more than $7 million dollars. In God’s “stock exchange”, it’s a very different ballgame as God’s measuring stick is not the same as the world’s. If two people invest the same amount on God’s stock, the value in God’s eyes would be dependent on how much we had left in the bank!!!! 

In Luke 21, we see how Jesus thinks. He sees many rich people putting their offerings into the Temple treasury. But of all the people, some of them giving huge sums of money, He pointed out the poor widow putting in two copper coins. “I assure  you, this poor widow has put in more than all the rest. They make contributions out of their surplus, but she from her want has given what she could not afford- every penny she had to live on.” When the poor widow gets to heaven, she will find that the value of her stock generated dividends and a tremendous return of investment! Let us remember the words of Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7: “The Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” What does the Lord see in our heart? 

Lord, help me to sow bountifully and cheerfully. I want treasures in heaven!