Topic: STRETCH YOURSELF – Bishop Mike Okonkwo Devotional 4 May 2023 The Redeemed Evangelical Mission

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STRETCH YOURSELF

“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” 2 Corinthians 9:6 (KJV)

One of the lies the devil is sowing in the hearts of believers today is the mentality that we live in a time of economic recession and so there is no need to stretch when it comes to giving. The last time I checked the scripture, it says that:  in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And nothing was lacking!

After the fall, man lost access to resources and had to labour before he could eat. God said to him, from the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat. (Genesis 3:19) This mentality of lack and shortage came because of the fall. Before the fall, man had access to the earth’s vast resources. The sweet Psalmist puts it this way in Psalms 24:1, “the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” He continues in Psalm 50:10-11 by saying “for every beast of the forest is mine and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the fields are mine.” The God we serve owns it all, and He lacks nothing.

Beloved, the good news is that what we lost in Adam, we have gained back in Christ. The irony, however, is that despite our inheritance in Christ Jesus, many of us still operate with a shortage mentality, and the result is that we are still penny-pinching. We refuse to give and as such, we cannot receive all that God has ordained for us. The man who thinks lack and shortage will naturally withhold.

You must understand that giving is the way of God. God is the biggest giver. He gave His only begotten Son to die for the whole world. The wisdom of the world emphasizes receiving while the wisdom of God emphasizes giving. I come to challenge you to give Him your best anytime you have the opportunity. As you give cheerfully every time in appreciation for giving to you first, expect Him to fill your barn and storehouses to overflow.

Further Reading: Proverbs 11:24-25; Luke 6:38

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- 1 Kings 16-18; Evening- Luke 22:47-71

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