Thursday April 4, 2013

Read 1 Samuel 2:6-10

Can you imagine how hard it would be to shove a full grown elephant into a matchbox? Virtually impossible, right? That’s what we often try to do with God. We seek to put Him into a nice, neat box but just like that elephant, God refuses to be shoved into a matchbox. It simply can’t be done!

 

When it comes to wealth and poverty, this mentality is obvious. We’ve all heard the proverbial TV preacher bidding us to send him more money and God in return would send us ten fold, hundred fold and in some arrogant cases, they’ve declared that God would even repay us 1,000 fold! I always wonder why these preachers refuse to give everyone in the audience and everyone watching just $50. By their own teaching God will repay them 10, 100, even 1,000 for every $50 they give out in faith. Maybe their faith isn’t big enough to give generously. OUCH!

 

But if we are poor then our faith is lacking and we simply haven’t trusted God. Can you see the box we are trying to put God in? As we read 1 Samuel 2:6-10 we are thrown into confusion. God is the sovereign Lord over all things, even money. He doesn’t give and provide as you and I stipulate or desire. He is the one who creates wealth and poverty. Sometimes we may scratch our heads wondering why He chose to bless that person with wealth or to doubly bless that other family with poverty.  But our ability to fathom God’s working doesn’t lessen His sovereignty or change the way He has to work.

 

God is totally and completely in control of all things, even your wealth. A mark of secure trust and maturity in our faith is trusting God and not grasping for more money at every opportunity. The secure believer has no need nor any desire to play or win Lotto. The secure and mature believer can give his tithe faithfully week in week out knowing that God will provide.  The trusting God fearer can be generous and give to the needy without a clutching heart. The mature man of God can sleep in peace because he knows that God, his God, will provide through all circumstances.

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Ask the Lord your God to raise up a spirit of love and generosity in your congregation. Pray that each and every person would love God with their entire heart and soul and mind and strength and financial resources as well.

¥ Pray that the Committee of Management would be wise in the way that it deals with and distributes the resources God has entrusted it with.

 

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. If God is in control of all wealth and poverty what does this mean for rich people? What does it mean for poor people?

2. If God is sovereign over wealth what does it mean for our weekly giving to God?

3. How would you answer the person who refuses to God because he/she doesn’t feel they have enough money?