Romans 4:17…and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
Paul writes about Abraham a few times in his writings. Here and in Hebrews 11:8 – By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed…
In both places, he speaks of the same event; the promise of God to Abraham and the faith of Abraham that was counted to him for righteousness.
While Abraham had to grow into this level of faith, he eventually did get to a place where his faith in God was powerful! We can learn from the life of Abraham about what it looks like to have the kind of faith that “calleth those things which be not as though they were” and we can let God develop that kind of faith in our lives as well!
Give and it Shall Be Given Unto You
Giving is a form of calling God’s blessings into your life!
We are told in Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Some people will never have because they never give, of if they do give, it is with the wrong motivation. They may give, but rather than giving to give, they give to get. They may give in order to get their way by using their money as leverage, to gain advantage with their money, or so they can get blessings from God.
While there are blessings that come with our giving, there aren’t as many people who will give simply because they love God enough to obey Him and believe in that to which they are giving.
God calls His people to give so He can use them as a conduit (delivery system) of blessings. While you are allowing God’s blessings to flow from Him through you to others, you’ll get some of those blessings in your own life too.
Solomon writes in Proverbs 11:25 …he that watereth shall be watered also himself. There have been times where I’ve been blessed and able to give large financial offerings and gifts. Then, even after doing that, I’ve also been through financially difficult times where I couldn’t do that anymore.
When I had it, I wanted to let it flow through me. When I didn’t have it, I still did what I could through giving of my time and talent, but I looked at that time as an opportunity to show God I’m still going to obey Him and do right without depending on the money.
Sometimes, God allows those tough times just to see where you are and to teach you not to depend too heavily upon it for your happiness. We are reminded in God’s holy word in Psalms 62:10 …if riches increase, set not your heart upon them. And in Proverbs 23:5 …for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. While going through difficult financial times, I still use that time to call God’s blessings back into my life while I’m waiting. This brings us to our next section.
In the next part we’ll talk about God’s creative word!
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