Dear friends,
I pray that you are well and growing in the reality of His presence. One of the operative principles of the kingdom of God is the principle of sowing and reaping. It is so often used in reference to money and sometimes to the extreme of manipulating people to get a bigger offering. It applies across the board in every area good or bad. If we sow mercy; we reap mercy. If we sow love; we reap love. If we sow judgement; we reap judgement. We reap what we sow; we reap later than we sow, and we reap greater than we sow. I felt impressed today to share a testimony that might encourage someone who may be going through a crisis of faith or a financial struggle. God’s word is true and He is faithful. I hope this blesses you.
And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:19
I had been preaching out of Philippians 4 when I felt impressed of the Lord that we needed to put these things in practice by giving to another church. It was clear that the promise which is so often quoted was given to a group of people who had sown sacrificially to meet the needs of Paul and his ministry. I knew a young pastor who had started a church and most of his members were college students. I am sure most of you know that most college students do not have an abundance and most have little or no income to give from. They were struggling financially. We were a new church as well, meeting in a Days Inn and we didn’t have an abundance of money either. I shared what I felt the Lord was telling me to do and my people were agreeable. We took up an offering for this other church. I, personally, was paid at the end of every month and I had almost run out of money before I had run out of month. My family had practically no money to give and I sacrificially gave almost all I had left. I gave 20 dollars. We collected a total of 120 dollars. It wasn’t much, but we didn’t have much.
The next day I went to the pastor’s home and gave him the check. The young pastor teared up when I handed him the check and tears came to my eyes as well as a sweet presence filled the room. God honored our sacrificial gift. No amount of money could have equaled the richness of that moment. I left broke in terms of finances, but with joy in my heart money could not buy. If that were the end of the story, it would be enough, but that was only part of what happened. The next Sunday an elderly lady who would visit our church every now and again came. She was a dear precious saint of God, an intercessor who spent many hours in prayer and knew the voice of her Lord. After the service, she came up to me and stuck a wad of cash in my hand and asked me to pray over it. She was giving this money to me in obedience to the Lord. I didn’t know how much it was and after we prayed together she left and I counted it. It was 130 dollars. God had provided for the rest of our month. I was humbled and touched. I knew that for this lady that was a lot of money. She and her husband lived on social security and what he could earn from a few odd jobs. I knew this was a sacrifice.
I saw the lady a couple of weeks later and she said that she wanted to share something with me. She had some friends to call her and ask her to go shopping with them . They told her they needed to buy a refrigerator and would like her advice as to what kind and style would be best. They looked at a number of refrigerators and my intercessor friend gave them counsel on each one. They finally came to one that she felt would serve her friends well. Her friends then asked her, “Would you like one like this?” She said she’d be very happy with one like that.They said, “It’s yours.” She was so excited. Her refrigerator was very old and she said she had laid hands on it and prayed for it on more than one occasion. God is faithful.
That is as far as I can carry the story, but knowing God I’m sure the ones who bought the refrigerator were blessed as well and probably the ones God used to bless them were blessed and so on. God has given us a gift that will never stop giving. Some might say, I’ve sown and I’ve not reaped. Remember, you will always reap later than you sow. It may be a season, but we have His promise. Be not weary in well doing for in due season you will reap if you faint not.” Gal.6:9
It is my hope to day that I have sown a blessing in your heart. God bless you.
Herb Dean