Scott Lewis, owner of Scott Machinery, attended a conference where Bill Bright challenged people to give one million dollars to help fulfill the Great Commission. This amount was laughable to Scott—far beyond anything he could imagine, since his machinery business was generating an income of under $50,000 a year.
Bill asked, “How much did you give last year?” Scott felt pretty good about his answer: “We gave $17,000, about 35 percent of our income.” Without blinking an eye, Bill responded, “Over the next year, why don’t you make a goal of giving $50,000?”
Scott thought Bill hadn’t understood. Fifty thousand dollars was more than he’d made all year! But Scott and his wife decided to trust God with Bill’s challenge, asking him to do the impossible. God provided in amazing ways; with a miraculous December 31 provision, the Lewises were able to give the $50,000. The next year they set a goal of giving $100,000. Again, God provided.
1 Kings 17:13,14 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”
Who better than a poor widow can understand lack and shortcomings. But I tell you these Pastors will still be preaching on tithing and offering. Those taglines, give the first and the best. Not so exciting. I want to apologize for preachers who just keep greedily preaching about giving. I am sad that for most it comes out of selfish ambitions and fleshy desires.
But we often forget that when we give it's about honoring God. It's about telling God and the world, that I don't trust in the Money, but on the one who has given me the blessings. So when Elijah asked the widow to give him food during a drought, it might have looked very sad and selfish. But Elijah was only teaching her to put God and things of God first. She was thinking about one meal, but God had planned for the whole season of drought. Are you in a drought ?
Inspired by Sis. Grace Johnson's sermon in Crossway on 4th March 2018.
Stanley Thomas Isac
Stanley is serving as the Pastor of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at Pastorstanleytisac@gmail.com
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