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A Sack of Sugar
by Smiles » Sun Aug 22, 2010 9:45 pm
Luke 6:36 Give and it will be given to you. Good measure, press down, shaken together, and running over, will He heap to your bosom.
What does it mean to be press down, shaken together and running over? I think about the makers of kitchen canisters and the makers of a bag of sugar. The bag is typically 5 lbs., but whoever created the canister created it to be 4 & 4/5 of a pound.
No matter how hard I try, I can't get all of the sugar to fit into the canister. I really do try. I pour as much as I possibly can into the canister and then I take the canister and I shake it I'm pressing down. I'm trying to get as much sugar into the canister as I can. BUT! No matter how much I shake it, no matter how much it settles (pressed down), the canister still overflows. WOW!!! That's what God desires to do in our lives when we give to Him, to His ministries Pour out a blessing upon us that is great in measure. Even when it is pressed down, even when it is shaken, it is more than we can contain and it runs over. Praise the Lord.
But it gets me to thinking. Isn't it interesting how often we want something for nothing, especially when it comes to the ministry? It's interesting. I never walk into McDonalds and order my quarter pounder with cheese, fries, and soda and expect to partake of it without paying for it. It's interesting, because I never begrudge the cashier or even Ronald McDonald himself for expecting me to contribute for my meal. I don't even get offended when I see the box where I can place my change to support the Ronald McDonald House.
And yet . When a ministry a physical church, a missionary, a Christian radio station, an internet missionary, a television ministry, needs funds to support it, we bristle up. We want to partake of the ministry. We want to receive from the ministry. We want the encouragement. We want the prayers. We want the fellowship. We are even thankful for the ministry. We may even believe the ministry is anointed. And yet not only are we not supportive of the ministry financially, we criticize the ministry for needing the support. Lord help us and forgive us.
And then think about this - according to the Scripture, when I give, He blesses me. Oh No. I don't give because of the blessing I receive. I give because it blesses the ministry. I give because it blesses the Lord. I give because it blesses others. I give because I believe in giving.
The Press Down, Shaken Together, Running Over Sugar, is just an added benefit.
What does it mean to be press down, shaken together and running over? I think about the makers of kitchen canisters and the makers of a bag of sugar. The bag is typically 5 lbs., but whoever created the canister created it to be 4 & 4/5 of a pound.
No matter how hard I try, I can't get all of the sugar to fit into the canister. I really do try. I pour as much as I possibly can into the canister and then I take the canister and I shake it I'm pressing down. I'm trying to get as much sugar into the canister as I can. BUT! No matter how much I shake it, no matter how much it settles (pressed down), the canister still overflows. WOW!!! That's what God desires to do in our lives when we give to Him, to His ministries Pour out a blessing upon us that is great in measure. Even when it is pressed down, even when it is shaken, it is more than we can contain and it runs over. Praise the Lord.
But it gets me to thinking. Isn't it interesting how often we want something for nothing, especially when it comes to the ministry? It's interesting. I never walk into McDonalds and order my quarter pounder with cheese, fries, and soda and expect to partake of it without paying for it. It's interesting, because I never begrudge the cashier or even Ronald McDonald himself for expecting me to contribute for my meal. I don't even get offended when I see the box where I can place my change to support the Ronald McDonald House.
And yet . When a ministry a physical church, a missionary, a Christian radio station, an internet missionary, a television ministry, needs funds to support it, we bristle up. We want to partake of the ministry. We want to receive from the ministry. We want the encouragement. We want the prayers. We want the fellowship. We are even thankful for the ministry. We may even believe the ministry is anointed. And yet not only are we not supportive of the ministry financially, we criticize the ministry for needing the support. Lord help us and forgive us.
And then think about this - according to the Scripture, when I give, He blesses me. Oh No. I don't give because of the blessing I receive. I give because it blesses the ministry. I give because it blesses the Lord. I give because it blesses others. I give because I believe in giving.
The Press Down, Shaken Together, Running Over Sugar, is just an added benefit.
-
Smiles
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