If You Give What You Have

Bill Brinkworth

I was recently reminded by Pastor R. King’s sermon that if we trust Christ by faith, He will do wonderful things with what we have, even if we think it is insufficient. The key is to put faith first! So many never see God’s miraculous intervention, because they never take that first step of trusting Him by faith with what they have, or who they are.

The preacher reminded his listeners that:

A widow of Zarephath had to take a step of faith after the prophet Elijah told her to fetch him a “morsel of bread” (I Kings 17). After finding out that she was making her and her son’s last meal, both widow and prophet had to trust God’s provision. Elijah commanded her to make him the bread with the tiny bit of meal and oil she had. She did, and miraculously there was enough for him, the widow, and the son for that day and for many days to come. God took what she thought was not enough and met her daily needs again and again.
Another widow also had to take that first step of faith when she had to trust Elisha’s method of paying off her creditors in II Kings 4. The prophet found out all the poor woman had was a pot of cooking oil. He then commanded her to fetch as many empty vessels as she could. It is not recorded that she argued or questioned the man of God. She stepped out by faith, and obeyed what she was told to do. She took what she had, the pot of oil, and poured it into one, then two, then three, and then all the borrowed vessels were miraculously filled from the “little” that she had originally. Her selling of the miraculously supplied oil was enough to pay her debts. If she did not take that first step of obedience and used what she had, God may never had done the “impossible”!
Jesus’ disciples had to take an obedient step of faith when they faced the task of feeding 5,000 men, and their wives and children. All they had between them to feed the crowd was a boy’s small lunch of five loaves of bread and two fishes (Matthew 14). They also took a step of faith when they handed it to Jesus; instead of arguing “it was not enough” or “it would be foolish to even try to feed the multitudes with so little”. They handed it to Christ and, after asking God to bless the little, Jesus took the bread and shared it and shared it and shared it …. There was enough to feed the massive crowds, and there were even 12 baskets left over. They took what they had, and trusted that God could do the impossible, and He did.

All throughout the Bible there are many other similar examples where people had very little, but they trusted God to meet their needs with what they had. Anyone can do much with a lot, but God cannot get the glory in the provision as much as He can when the “impossible” little accomplishes great things with help of the mighty hand of God. Seeing His provision also increases one’s faith and gets one closer to the Lord.

Today, God can still do great things with things we do not consider a solution to our needs. Too many excuse not tithing (giving God at least 10% of one’s gross income). They reason “I can barely meet my needs with what I make as it is!” However, there are many that have stepped out by faith, and reason that “God says to give, and He promises to meet my needs.” They give far more than they “can afford” and week after week, see how God faithfully provides. A “little” can go far when God is trusted and involved.

There are others that see themselves without finances, without talent, without ability, yet they give themselves to the Lord without reservation. After a time of surrendering themselves to be used by the Lord, they look back and see what God has done with their lives. In many cases, God did a lot with a “little”.

None of us are prizes. We are all sinners and have repeatedly let God down. He will, however, take whatever “little” we offer for His use, and do great and marvelous things. Take that giant step of faith and see that “little” can be changed into much by the Master’s mighty hand.

“Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see.” — Clarke

This article was featured in The Bible View #600.