After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under a tent."
Nathan replied to David, "Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you."
But that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying:
"Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD says . . . ' "
"I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name like all the names of the greatest men on earth. And I will provide a place for my people Israel . . . Wicked people will not oppress them anymore… I will also subdue all your enemies. " 'I declare to you that the LORD will build a house for you: When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your own offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. . . I will never take away my love from him, as I took it away from your predecessor. . . .' " I Chronicles 17: 1-13
Nathan replied to David, "Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you."
But that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying:
"Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD says . . . ' "
"I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name like all the names of the greatest men on earth. And I will provide a place for my people Israel . . . Wicked people will not oppress them anymore… I will also subdue all your enemies. " 'I declare to you that the LORD will build a house for you: When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your own offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. . . I will never take away my love from him, as I took it away from your predecessor. . . .' " I Chronicles 17: 1-13
God is not a "Taker"; God is a "Giver." Whatever we give to God, He will give it back to us "a good measure, pressed down shaken together and running over (Luke 6:38). When we give faithfully to him in our tithes and offerings, He promises to open the windows of Heaven upon our lives and pour out so much blessing that we won't even have room to contain it (Malachi 3:10). Try it, it works because God is not a man that He should lie. If God were to lie for a moment, He would cease to be God; because He would have no basis of righteousness.
There is something very extraordinary about giving generously to God. I am perfectly aware that the subject of giving has been blatantly abused by some pastors who have taken undue advantage of God's children, even to the point of fleecing God's children and making merchandise of them. But this does not negate the evidence of Scripture that God looks down with great favor on generous givers. In fact, Scripture makes it clear that when we give generously to God, He will give generously back to us because God loves generous givers.
There is something very extraordinary about giving generously to God. I am perfectly aware that the subject of giving has been blatantly abused by some pastors who have taken undue advantage of God's children, even to the point of fleecing God's children and making merchandise of them. But this does not negate the evidence of Scripture that God looks down with great favor on generous givers. In fact, Scripture makes it clear that when we give generously to God, He will give generously back to us because God loves generous givers.
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