Devotion: The Way to Greater Blessings

Weekly Devotion by Pastor Chong Yew
"The generous man will be prosperous,

And he who waters will himself be watered." Proverbs 11:25

The way to receive greater blessings is to practice greater giving. A generous person will grant to himself a continuous supply of grace and prosperity from God. Psalm 112:3-5 describes a gracious and compassionate man as one whose wealth and riches are in his house. 

How do I know if a man will prosper and become successful? It is when I see in his life a pattern of receiving and giving; a continuous inflow and outflow of blessings. The famous Dead Sea of Israel is a landlocked body of water between Israel and Jordan and is the saltiest spot on earth. One of the reasons the Dead Sea is so salty is because there are no outlets. The minerals that flow into it stay there forever. There are several rivers and streams that feed into the Dead Sea, but none that drain out. With the hot temperatures, the water evaporates fairly quickly. As this occurs, it leaves behind any dissolved minerals in the sea, increasing its saltiness. Because the Dead Sea is so salty, no life can be found in its waters. It is a lifeless and watery desert. .

A person who keeps receiving and not giving will be likened to the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea though rich in mineral content, has no life. Similarly, a person may be wealthy in his bank account, but he has no life, no joy, no love, no one to share with. His wealth could not find a way to benefit him until he learns to give it away. Money could buy a big house, but not a home. Money could buy gifts, but not love. Money could buy medication, but not health. What we need is not material wealth, but true riches and life. A lifestyle of giving turns material wealth into true riches and life. The bible says, "One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, And He will repay him for his good deed." Proverbs 19:17.  We have received from God the ability and the opportunities to create wealth. He has given His very own Son so that He may redeem us from the kingdom of hell into the Kingdom of life. As we have so freely received from God, let us freely give.   

God has provided us guidelines as to how we could give towards the benefit of others. In Malachi 3:10, God gave clear instructions, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows." Giving 10% of our monthly income to the church is God's way of providing for the work of the gospel and for the poor. As we begin to give out of love for God and for others, God will bless us until our account overflows.