It bears repeating that money is mentioned in the Bible more than any one topic. It is mentioned in the context of its shortcomings.
Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 5:10 “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.” NIV. And 1 Timothy 6:10 warns “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” NIV. Plus Hebrews 13:5 says “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." NIV. A person who loves money never has enough. Money is currency and a man who loves money can be tempted to commit any act in exchange for it. We should love God more than money because money can be lost or stolen, but God will never leave nor forsake us.
God has made a promise about how He conducts our sowing and reaping in 2 Corinthians 9:10: “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.” NIV.
This scripture brings up important points about sowing and reaping money:
· Just because you sow money, does not mean that your whole harvest will be money.
· Just because you need money, do not make all of your sowing money, because God may want you to give something else of value to the Kingdom
· Just because you want money, do not define your harvest as money alone.
· Even if you do not sow any money at all, ask God for money anyway, recognizing that sowing takes place in all things that you do before God.
MONEY-MONEY-MONEY-MON-EY---MON-EY!
Just because you sow money, does not mean that your whole harvest will be money. Elsewhere in this book we have discussed the harvest of the Israelites who were freed from Egyptian slavery. They reaped the Promised Land without sowing money, or anything that resembled the harvest they received. God will give you a harvest in exchange for sowing money, but it may not be all be money.
Have you ever sown money – as a tithe or offering or charitable giving – expecting a Malachi harvest of “so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”? Many of us have sown money with the expectation that we will get so much money that we will not have room enough for it. The “name it and claim it” ministries interpret Malachi 3:10 in that way, leading many of us to believe that when we sow money, we get a windfall of money in return.
Not necessarily so. Don’t stop sowing money, but understand that God is Sovereign and Almighty, and retains the freedom to give us the harvest that He deems appropriate and in season. .”Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Read 2 Corinthians 9:7, NIV.
Just because you need money, do not sow money exclusively, because God may want you to give something else of value to the Kingdom. You have other gifts that God wants you to sow. Even if you don’t have enough money, sow money generously within your means, then sow your other gifts generously, within the constraints of your time and strength. If your gift is teaching, teach; if your gift is singing, sing; if your gift is hospitality, entertain the saints or the needy.
God in His sovereignty will provide the appropriate harvest. Be bold in the definition of your harvest to include everything that you expect God to provide. Remember, God knows what you need. Consider Matthew chapter 6:25-34:
“. . .Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” KJV.
Because you need money for food, drink and clothing, God has promised to provide them. It is unnecessary to sow money just to get money for necessities. Sow your other gifts. Reap money and more!
Just because you want money, do not define your harvest as money alone. Because you can depend on God to provide your necessities, you don’t have to worry about defining your harvest as “enough” money for food and clothing. And yes, He can provide anything He wants in exchange for your sowing cash. But it helps you to define your harvest, and be thankful and ask a blessing over your harvest before it is delivered. It is an exercise of faith and perseverance to wait on your harvest with knowledgeable, confident expectation.
Even if you do not sow any money at all, ask God for money anyway, recognizing that sowing takes place in all things that you do before God. If you have no money to sow, or if there is insufficient money to sow and also pay all your bills, sow your other gifts. Sow something else! You may define your harvest as money necessary to pay taxes, or for college tuition. Everything you do is sowing, and all that you receive from God is reaping a divine harvest. In fact, He sometimes withholds money so that we are forced to think about what else we can do to sow into the lives of others to receive a harvest.
This principle is supported by scripture. In Matthew 17, the temple tax collectors asked Peter whether Jesus would pay the temple tax. Jesus said He would pay the temple tax and instructed Peter to go fishing, and in the fish’s mouth Peter would find the tax for the both of them. This has been looked upon as a miracle, but we now know that certain fish and other sea creatures eat almost anything that humans throw into the water. Christ knew when and where the fish with drachma would be swimming! Similarly, God knows where the money is, and who holds it for our benefit. We must sow in obedience whatever God directs, and God will provide the appropriate harvest.
