Giving Despite Being Weary of Doing So

In Your Bible Read This Out Loud: Hebrews 6:12  

Memorize This Verse: Psalm 103:2 

Afterwards Talk About This:  The faith and patience spoken of in Hebrews 6:12 we need to inherit financial promises. 

Something To Do Before Next Time:  Make a list of the times God has blessed you financially.  

Written Diploma Work:  Write one side on why a person's financial harvest may be delayed. 

Meditate Word By Word On This Verse:  Psalm 25:13

This section about giving during the tough times will consider the need to keep on giving despite being weary. The vast majority of Christians who regularly give will experience times where they see no apparent harvest for the financial seeds they have sown. It is during these times that doubts come against faith, discouragement sets in and the temptation arises to stop giving altogether. If you are going a time where you are tempted to stop giving as you have sown much but not seen a harvest, then this chapter is for you draw encouragement from the scriptures that will be looked at. 

Primarily in a situation where someone has faithfully been giving but has yet to see a harvest, it must be emphasised they have a right to expect a harvest. It doesn't matter if a black man or a white man, a man or a woman, an American or an African has sown financial seed - God is no respecter of colour or gender or nationality anyone who sows shall reap. 

The laws of sowing and reaping are not like the laws of gambling where you may or may not see a return - anyone who has obeyed and believed God with their giving will receive from God. Consequently it is not a question of someone waiting years wondering if God has seen their giving and wondering if he will decide to send a financial harvest their way. It is not a case of if a harvest comes but when it comes - if you have been honouring God financially you can boldly and confidently expect a harvest.   

Moreover not only is it the case of when, not if, the harvest will come but another large factor to be considered is that the harvest will come in God's timing and nothing and nobody can speed up their harvests. No farmer would sow seed on Sunday and look for a harvest on Monday morning yet many Christians give in the offering plate on Sunday evening and expect a cheque in the post on Monday morning. 

Galatians 6:9 says, 'For at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up' and no amount of spiritual warfare, pleading and prophesying will speed up the harvest. Relax in the knowledge of God's wisdom and love and that he will release your harvest to you at the right time - surely he will not let you down. 

It has been argued previously that the timing, form, method and quantity of any harvest is solely in the determination of God and we simply cannot tell God when, where and how to bless us doing so could well lead us to miss out entirely on the blessing of God. 

 

In his infinite knowledge God will seek to bless us in the best way possible but this sometimes doesn't fit in with what we think he should be blessing us! Remember that the bible speaks of God holding the oceans in the palm of his hand - God is massive, awesome and Lord of all and this same God is not unaware of those who have been honouring him with their finances and those who haven't. 

The previous scripture from Galatians 6:9 leads onto a very serious point about giving when you still haven't seen a harvest namely, that we have the capacity to loose our harvest the scripture says 'We will reap a harvest if we do not give up'. Consequently the question arises - what is the evidence that someone has given up in their faith and has stopped believing God for a financial harvest? 

Surely one of the evidences is that they will stop giving financially because if you no longer believe that God is going to bless you financially, then you will have no desire or motivation to give financially. It is therefore tremendously important that you keep on giving despite being weary of doing so and despite not seeing a harvest keep your faith alive by choosing to keep on giving. 

 

Keep on praying and saying and believing that the harvest is coming keep on giving and don't become weary of doing so. The devil is out to devour your harvest - as you choose to keep on giving in the tough times you will shield your harvest and shut his mouth with it's doubts and discouragements. 

Sadly not only is there a tremendous need to carry on giving during the tough times but all too often Christians will give up and stop giving and stop believing about 5 minutes before their harvest is due - a good example of this is the story of the miraculous catch of fish in Luke 5:1-11. After toiling all night the disciples are tired and weary yet the voice of the master encourages them to put their nets out one more time even tough they are weary they obey the voice of the master and they receive a net breaking catch of fish. 

Perhaps you too have been toiling in the area of your finances and you have been giving until you have become weary of doing so - has not the voice the voice of the master also come to you, encouraging you to keep on giving? It could be that your harvest is only weeks, days or even hours away - perhaps you only have to give a couple more times and that will trigger God's flood of blessings into your life - DO NOT GIVE UP! - KEEP ON GIVING. 

Finally, a very good exercise to do when you have been giving for a long time without seeing a harvest is to put yourself in remembrance of your previous harvests and meditate on the goodness of God that you have already seen in your life. Psalm 103:2 says, 'Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits' unfortunately, so often we focus on the fact we have been waiting for a while for a harvest that we completely forget all the previous times God has blessed. 

If God has blessed you previously he will surely bless you in the future so let your previous blessings encourage you to persevere and keep on giving in order that you may experience even more. All Christians who give will go for periods where they see no apparent results but all the time they have been giving it could be the angels of God have been at work in the unseen spirit realm preparing a harvest for them which will be released in God's perfect timing.