When God’s people are walking with Him in a revived state they give in response to His prompting. They become like their Father.  And God by nature is a giver. Look at every act from creation to the cross to the consummation and you will see the extraordinary generosity of God. He simply cannot deny His character.

GOD’S JOY

He gives when it is undeserved and inconvenient. He gives when it is least expected. He gives sacrificially (His only Son) and systematically (our daily bread). He is the perfect model of hilarious, unhindered charity.

His goal for man, of course, is to be conformed to His image. To reflect His nature and character and bring Him glory. Therefore, we are most like Him when generosity flows from us with spontaneity, abundance, and joy.

ISRAEL’S ILLUSTRATION

When the Israelites were in a prime, revived moment of their walk with Jehovah, we find them giving without grumbling. And giving to excess.

And they received from Moses all the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning, so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, and said to Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.”

So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more. (Exodus 35:3-7)

This same thing is repeated at every point in history when people are genuinely filled with Him. Look at David’s contributions in 1 Chronicles 29 (“…and who am I that I should be able to offer as generously as this?” verse 14), and the Acts believers in Acts 4 where there was such giving that there was “no more need” in a church of thousands.

REVIVED PEOPLE GIVE

This must be a very honest point of evaluation for us. A point where the debate ends about the reality of our spiritual condition. We should not say that we are walking in a revived condition if we are grudging or grumbling with the resources God has entrusted to us. If we are filled with God we will give with boundless, cheerful, spontaneous generosity. It is as simple as that.

 

©2012 Bill Elliff.  Originally psoted on Sep 14, 2012 on Bill Elliff’s Blog.