Command 13 : Lay Up Treasures | Day 91

Learn How to Abound!

There is a potential danger in being a sower. Whenever riches increase, there is a temptation to set our hearts on them and use them for our own personal desires. Thus, God warns, “If riches increase, set not your heart upon them” (Psalm 62:10). “For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven" (Proverbs 23:5).

If we fail to honor God with the firstfruits of our increase, we cannot expect Him to "rebuke the devourer" on our behalf. (See Malachi 3:8-11.)

The devourer's work may be evident in unexpected losses or expenses, including theft, depreciation, accidents, diseases, hospital bills, business losses, bad investments, etc.

Years ago, a Godly carpenter was asked to do a job for a factory owner. When the owner did not have money to pay his bill, he gave the carpenter stock in an abandoned gold mine. A few months later, a new vein of gold was discovered in the mine, and the stock skyrocketed in value!

The carpenter sold the stock. He was asked if he planned to honor God with the firstfruits of his increase. (See Proverbs 3:9-10.) He replied that instead of giving any tithes or offerings, he planned to reinvest the money in an oil venture so that he would have even more to give to God. He and a close friend took all of their assets and invested them in that project. It turned out to be a scam, and they lost all of their money and had to pay lawyers' fees. Their grief brought an early death to their wives and then to themselves as well.

If we view ourselves as producers of wealth, rather than channels of wealth, we are in danger.

God is the One Who gives us the power to get wealth. He is the One Who increases or decreases our ability to give. Job understood this when he declared: “The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21).

R. G. LeTourneau, developer of giant earth-moving equipment, was a great man of faith in the area of giving. Early in his career, God taught him the importance of tithing, but as his business grew, so did his desire to give more to the Lord's work than just a tithe. He stated, "... When you consider what God has done for us, we ought to do [more] for Him out of gratitude...." This desire led him and his wife to make a commitment to give 50% of both their personal income and their company's income to the Lord. As the business continued to grow, they still felt that they were keeping too much for themselves. They eventually gave 90% of their income to the Lord's work.

Paul gives us wise counsel on abounding with riches. We can learn how to abound only if we first learn how to suffer need with contentment (see Philippians 4:12). When we learn to be content with food and clothing, we are ready to abound.

You would provide a great encouragement to your family by writing down examples from your life of sowing and reaping. Do you also have examples of how the devourer took funds that were not given to the Lord as they should have been?