What Steps Can You Take?

If you don't know his story,

·         Samson was actually called by God and set apart from birth to help deliver the Israelites from the oppressive hands of the Philistines.

·         Samson was given a supernatural strength in order to do what God called him to do.

·         As so common with men that have so much potential, Samson again and again makes bad decisions.

Three issues to think about:

1.   Samson had a problem with lust; 'I want it', as he pursued a Philistine woman, something he was forbidden to do.

2.   The second problem Samson has is entitlement; 'I deserve it', as he did things and touched things that were forbidden in his Nazirite vows.

3.   The third problem we see is pride; as he puts himself around alcohol. Again, something he wasn't supposed to do, as he says, 'I can handle it; I want it, I deserve it and I can handle it!'

The wises thing Samson did was Cry out to God.

When Samson was Thirsty he cried out to God in Judges 15:19-20

Let's read it. 19 Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived. So the spring was called En Hakkore, and it is still there in Lehi. 20 Samson led Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines (Judg 15:19-20).

Let's pause for a moment. If you're not careful, you can read just right past verse 20, that is really an amazing verse. In fact, it's kind of like the first really good news we see in this whole story, because in one verse it captures twenty years of apparent faithfulness. Samson had just had an experience with the Living God as he was revived and refreshed and all of a sudden now, he's on the right track doing what he was created to do, and one verse summarizes it:

...for the next twenty years he led faithfully as a judge over Israel.

He was on the right track! Samson was the leader of 20 years of peace, prosperity, relative freedom.

This looks like he put his problems behind him. But he ignored and covered his weaknesses.

Watch though tragically, a guy who is doing things well; honoring God, serving Him, as many of you may be right now. By the end of this study today, we're going to see a guy with so much God-given potential making poor decisions, ending up with his eyes gouged out, his hands shackled; he's the laughing stock in front of the enemies, the Philistines. And it raises the question, how could a man with so much strength, with so much God-ordained potential, mess up his life so badly? And the answer is our key thought for the day if you're taking notes is this:

SAMSON DIDN’T RUIN HIS LIFE ALL AT ONCE. HE RUINED IT ONE STEP AT A TIME.

One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her. 2 The people of Gaza were told, "Samson is here!" So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They made no move during the night, saying, "At dawn we'll kill him." Judges 16:1-2

Samson walked to Gaza—Philistine headquarters. This was Public enemy #1. His walk to Gaza is 25 miles from Samson’s home town Zorah.

Stupid enough to risk so much for a quick fix or little high or little hit?

Countless men do it every day.

He basically walked 25 miles: This was about 56,250 steps that lead him to destruction. We have seen men take step after step to sexual addiction, bankruptcy, affair.

SAMSON’S SMALL STEPS lead TOWARD HIS BIG DESTRUCTION

Are you moving toward the Lord or away from HIM?

What needs to improve in your life right now?

Day 21 – Get on the Road to Wisdom!

So don’t let anyone or anything stop us from living in the principles of God. We have God’s promise: More and more increase is ours for the taking, for both us and our children. But first, we have to decide we’re going to live the way of abundance He has planned for us in His Word. We must decide to put the Lord first in our time, our attention, and our money. We must become a good steward of our own finances. We must operate in the law of sowing and reaping and be diligent to engage in honest work.

Finally, we must live by faith so we can please God!  The Word says that God is pleased when we trust Him enough to obey His Word. And He delights to see the produce in our lives as we help others and seek His Kingdom! He is glorified when we bear much fruit indicating we are his disciples (John 15:8). By helping others we are fulfilling the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).

Please mark these verses in your Bible.

JOB 8:7 - Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end should GREATLY INCREASE.

DEUTERONOMY 6:3 - Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that you may INCREASE MIGHTILY, as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you, in the land that flows with milk and honey.

PSALM 115:12-16 - The Lord has been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron. 13 He will bless those who fear the Lord, both small and great. 14 The Lord shall INCREASE YOU MORE AND MORE, you and your children. 15 May you be blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth. 16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth he has given to the children of men.

PSALM 71:21 – You shall INCREASE MY WEALTH, And comfort me on every side.

Day 20 - A Word of Warning!

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ — 2 Corinthians 11:3.

Let me give you a word of warning: Keep Christ as the center of your life. Seek his kingdom fervently. Live full on and fierce for His righteousness. You will be persecuted as you begin to be fruitful for the glory of God. That’s just a fact of life for all who take up the cross to follow Christ and His fresh principles. We need to understand all who live godly will suffer persecution. You see, the devil wants to do everything he can to keep you discouraged. Therefore, when we start to do things God’s way, he’ll try to cause people to become offended by your new life.

Don’t Mind the Hypocrites

For example, people may say about you and your family, “I don’t think they ought to have such a nice car.” People who say things like that are judging you. Mark it down in your mind — they are hypocrites. When you put the Lord first, maintain good stewardship, sow seed into God’s Kingdom, work hard, and live by faith, you walk down avenues that inevitably lead to an increase in God’s blessings. And when you experience that increase, it is no one else’s business what kind of car you drive or what kind of house you live in. The people who are criticizing you have extra possessions they could give away, but they point the finger at you. If they have three cans of beans, why don’t they give two to missions?

People who like to criticize don’t want to think about what they could do for others; they want to judge you. They are not living according to the standards they place on you. That’s a great example of hypocrisy.

One of the Greatest Hypocrites of All

Let me take you to the book of John to show you whom these people act like.

JOHN 12:3-6 - Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  4But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5"Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." 6He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

The cost of the perfume that this woman named Mary poured on the body of Jesus was about the pay of the average annual salary. That was a bunch of money to spend at one time! So Judas said, “Woman, what are you doing? We could use that money for the poor.” Did Judas criticize Mary like that because he cared for the poor? No! He was a two-faced thief who carried the money bag and often used the funds for his own selfish purposes.

Can you see that these types of hypocrites basically think alike? Despite the beam in their own eye, they are consumed with taking the speck out of others’ eyes (Luke 6:41,42).

Keep your eyes on Jesus and let people talk. It is none of your business what they say about you.

Day 19 – Having the right Equipment makes the difference.

Where no oxen are the crib is clean; But much INCREASE comes by the strength of an ox – Proverbs 14:4.

If you are a farmer tilling land for planting seeds, growing and harvesting crops you shouldn’t use just a shovel. You should get a plow and an ox. Better yet, if that is your source of revenue you should get a combine. When you get the right tools things might go much more smoothly.

Having the right tools can make all the difference in the world. Let me explain. One day I was cutting a couple trees on my grandmother’s property. It was a relatively easy chore. The only problem was my tools. I had an old, rickety ladder and some rusty, dull snips. What should have taken less than an hour took me hours? And I almost broke my neck falling off the weak, pathetic ladder that was standing unstable between the fence and the house. We don’t even want to talk about the frustration that came with the project.  I could have been way more productive, efficient and effective with the right tools.  

Abraham Lincoln said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Wow! Wisdom is the principle thing!

Have you ever tried to clean fish with a dull knife? I bet in just a few moments you were getting frustrated. I have and I can tell you it’s not fun. It’s a mess. What we should do is look around and find a sharper knife or go buy one. If we listen to wisdom, it might save us an injury, time, and peace of mind.

I’m reminded of some advice the Lord gave me: “Son, one of the most important things in your day is having the right tools. It will make all the difference in the world.”

And it’s so true. You can’t run a business with a 10 year old computer. You can’t do graphic design on the wrong program. You can’t haul dirt without a truck. You can’t learn to play guitar with a useless guitar. You can’t screw in a screw with a hammer. You can’t put in a window with only a sledge hammer.

The key to successful farming could be a combine. The key to trimming trees is having the right tools. The key to cleaning fish is having a good knife. Time and again, a task that would take days to accomplish with the wrong tools might only take hours to accomplish with the right tools.

Hear the sound of heaven; “Much INCREASE comes by the strength of an ox” – Proverbs 14:4.

DAY 17 - Faith Takes God at His Word

Faith Takes God at His Word

Faith is taking God at His Word. This is a simple truth to understand. For instance, what if I asked you, ”How can you prove what day of the month it is?” You’d probably answer, “By looking at a calendar.”

Now, think about it. We often put more faith in a calendar than we do in God’s Word? We have an easier time trusting the dates on the calendar than we do the promises in the Bible. I know I do but we need to renew our minds and adopt His thoughts (Isaiah 55:7-9).

We should pray and plan our life around the Word as easily as we plan our schedule according to the calendar. We should believe that God’s promises are true as readily as we believe the calendar.

God’s Word in Your Heart And in Your Mouth

Fourth, the Word of God must be in our heart and in our mouth in order for it to work. Our answer cannot just be our mental agreement; it must in the heart and spoken forth.

Also, we can’t just say a lot of “faith” words that we don’t really mean and expect to receive our answer. If we don’t really believe in our heart what we’re saying, the words we speak will not have any substance or power to them.

Faith that receives the promises of God will work by believing and saying. If we truly believe in our heart what the Word of God says we can affirm it without a struggle, and see improvements. Look how Jesus put it: The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks (Luke 6:45).

The Importance of Words

The words we speak are more important than most of us realize. If we walk down certain avenues from God’s Word but still speak negatively, we might get a bad attitude, become cynical, judgmental, and critical in our perspective and this might forfeit the contest for improvement.

We may put the Lord first in his life, maintain good stewardship, operate in the law of sowing and reaping, and work diligently at his job. But if we speaks words of doubt and unbelief all the time, we will not help but hinder the other scriptural principles. For example, if we says, “Well, I guess sowing and reaping won’t work this year because the economy is bad and inflation is sky high,” we could be neglecting our trust in  God and evading the principle of faith. Then, sometimes worry and skepticism multiply and we become discouraged.

So don’t talk doubt and unbelief. As you put the other principles of increase into action, exercise your faith as well, taking care that you always protect your heart and guard

your words.

Let’s start believing in our heart and saying with our mouth that we believe to receive change based on His promises. As we speak words of blessing and life from a pure heart, we can eventually experience more optimism, energy, motivation, and inspiration. The journey of receiving the promises is as important as the results.

We want have more and do more for the glory of God. We can increase and keep on increasing because the Scriptures say that the Lord will increase me more and more, both me and my children (Ps. 115:14).

The Holy Spirit is working in our behalf. Not only that, but our angels are on assignment and working to bring us opportunity. Lord is dealing with people to give to us good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. The Lord is working on our behalf. Let’s affirm His promises from the heart.

Day 16 - FAITH

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. — Hebrews 11:6

Faith is one of the most fundamental avenues of increase that God has provided for us. In the book of Mark, Jesus explained to His disciples how to operate in faith:

MARK 11:23, 24 - I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

It is not enough for us to believe that our pastor receives from God. It is not enough for us to believe that our brother or sister in Christ receives from God. Jesus says that we must believe in our heart and say with our mouth that we receive the answer to our prayer; then we will have it. So see yourself with the answer. See yourself possessing the promises of God. Assume that you have already received the desire of your heart that is based on the Word.

Faith Is a Spiritual Law - In order to live by faith, you first have to understand that faith is actually a spiritual law. A law works the same for everyone. For example, if a person jumps off a two-story building, the law of gravity will immediately go into effect, causing that person to fall to the ground regardless of his or her color, age, gender, or social class. On the other hand, if the law of lift is applied correctly, it can supersede the law of gravity and lift a five-ton airplane off the ground.

Similarly, the law of sin and death will keep people trapped in the pit of condemnation, failure, and defeat. But faith receives forgiveness and up roots bitterness If the avenue of

faith is walked out, it will lift those same people out of the pit and up into victory! Regardless of how hard life is or how bad our situation is, we can choose to believe our father loves us. We choose to believe that He lifts the poor out of the pit and raises the needy out of the dunghill (Psalm 113:7).

Faith Acts On God’s Word - Second, faith is acting on what God said in His Word. Here’s something to think about in relation to the subject of faith: Most jobs do not pay you the wages you have earned until after you have worked at least one full work week. You wouldn’t be at all ashamed to tell a friend that you work at a job all week but don’t get paid until Friday.

But how can you say that you get paid on Friday when you haven’t seen the money yet? You might answer, “Well, my boss told me he would pay me on Friday.” You don’t really know if your employer has enough money to pay you, but you have faith in his word.

Well, do we have more faith in what our boss says than we do in God’s Word? Why don’t we give God equal respect by having faith in His promises before we ever see the manifestation?

Remember, faith is the evidence of things not seen (Heb. 11:1).

Day 15 - Praise

Let the people praise You, O God; Let all the people praise You. Then the earth shall yeild her INCREASE; and God, our own God, shall bless us.  - Psalms 67:5-6.

An old farmer had been begging God to heal him for 20 years. He had hundreds of people praying for him. He believed that if more people would pray then God would heal him. He had dozens of the best ministers on the planet pray for him. Yet he still never received any evidence of improvement. Finally the doctors gave up on him and told him that he was going to die.

            One day on his death bed he mustard up enough strength and energy to walk a couple hundred yards down to a patch of trees and grass on his property. He said, “One of two things is going to happen: either I will walk down there and praise the Lord and die. Or I will walk down there and praise the Lord and live.” After he walked down to the patch of trees and grass he collapsed in complete exhaustion. He determined to lie there until he had enough strength to praise the Lord. After quite some time of resting, he gained enough strength to lift his voice and whisper praises unto to God. He kept on and on and on. In two hours he was standing, shouting, and praising God. So much so that the neighbors who lived over a quarter of a mile away came running to see what was wrong. They thought the old farmer had finally died. But when they got to him he told them the story about how he came to live or die but praising the Lord increased his strength. God healed him through praise. He lived 20 more years.

Remember the strategy the Lord gave Joshua? Walk around Jericho for seven days and on the seventh day seven times. Then, “Shout unto God with a voice of triumph.” What happened? The walls came tumbling down. Plus, enormous wealth came into the House of the Lord as a result of praise.

            Remember Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail? At midnight the prayed and sang praise unto God. The prisoners heard them. The prison doors were opened. The guard and his family got saved. Plus, a church was planted all as a result of praising the Lord.

            Remember Jehoshaphat was surrounded by Moab, Ammon, and Mt. Seir. There was no possible way out. God gave him a secret weapon. “Start praising the Lord; for the battle is not yours but the Lord’s.” The enemy armies turned against one another and fought each other in confusion. Not one single soldier of the enemy armies lived. Then the Lord gave the people of God all the spoils of war. The treasures were so large it took three days to gather all the loot.

            This verse is clear and exemplified. When God’s people praise Him, there will be INCREASE.

DAY 15

Day 14 - Not Working Is Not Equal To ‘Living by Faith’

     I once met a man who listened to very, very little teaching on faith principles and therefore had no solid foundation in the Word. At the time, he had told dozens of people that he was believing God for a brand-new, fully loaded, red Porsche 911 with cream leather interior. He said he was making faith confessions for the sports car. But even if the Lord had sent someone to this man’s house with the title and the keys to a Porsche 911, the man wouldn’t have been able to pay for the gas to drive it! That doesn’t even take into consideration the extremely high cost of insurance, tags, taxes, tires, and maintenance for such an

expensive car. The silly thing about this situation was that this man hadn’t had a job in two years! He claimed that God was doing a new thing by providing him with a Porsche 911 while he just “lived by faith.”

     But the man’s assertion that God was doing a “new thing” was actually just an excuse for pure laziness. God believes in diligent work.

PROVERBS 10:4 - Lazy hands make a man poor: but diligent hands bring wealth.

PROVERBS 13:4 - The sluggard craves and gets: but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

     If you sit on your couch day after day refusing to go to work, I guarantee you that you won’t end up driving an expensive car. That would be a breach in the ethic of work, a divine avenue of increase. Everyone needs to not only work in some capacity, but to be diligent at it.

Gather the Manna

     Even if God rained manna out of the sky for us, He would still expect us to work to collect it, mold it into cakes, and bake it.

     When God provided manna from Heaven for the children of Israel, they didn’t even know it was a God-sent blessing at first. Moses had to tell the people of God to go to work gathering the manna (Exod. 16:15,16)!

     Well, just like the children of Israel, many people today are sometimes unaware of a divine blessing because it involves work. They think that God doesn’t ever require work as a means to receive His blessings.

Let Down the Nets

     Even if God gives a net breaking, ship sinking, boat load of fish it requires work. I want to remind you of Peter’s financial miracle in Luke 5:1-8. Jesus filled his boat and his partner’s boat. Taking the boat out takes work. Putting the nets out takes work. Gathering the fish takes work. Pulling the fish to shore takes work. Cleaning the fish takes work. Marketing the fish takes work. Selling the fish takes work. It takes work to turn fish into payroll or rent money.

     God planned for work to be means of resources from the very beginning. No one is excused from that principle; everyone has a responsibility to work, whether it’s performing necessary chores at home or laboring in the workplace.

     Work not only nurtures the health of your soul; it also brings increase to many other areas of life. The hand of the diligent makes rich — so whatever work you find to do, do it with all your might!

DAY 13 - Work

Wealth gained by vanity shall be diminished: but he who gathers by labor shall INCREASE.— Proverbs 13:11

Work is an obvious avenue of increase that originated as God’s idea. Notice His perspective on this subject in the following verse:

PROVERBS 14:23 - In all labor there is gain [literally increase]: but the talk of the lips leads only to poverty.

The Bible shows us that consistent labor is an important virtue. Work is an extremely significant principle that leads to increase.

In First and Second Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul encourages Christians three times to get to work (1 Thess. 4:11; 2 Thess. 3:10,12). According to these verses, everyone should work. (I’m speaking particularly to men who are the heads of their families, but every member of the family has responsibilities that require his or her labor to fulfill.)

The Bible even says that if a person doesn’t work, he doesn’t eat (2 Thess. 3:10). First Timothy 5:8 also says that a person who doesn’t work denies the faith and is worse than an infidel. A person is to work to provide for his own, especially those in his own family.

The Blessing of Labor

Work is a blessing from God. Many people don’t realize it, but honest labor has been God’s idea from the beginning. For example, God gave Adam work to do before He gave him a wife (Gen. 2:19,20).

Work blesses man’s soul in every area. The children of a man who has been on unemployment for two years will testify that the family is happier when Dad has a job. The man’s wife will testify to the deteriorating changes in her husband’s sense of self-value, self-worth, and self-esteem — changes

that adversely affect the entire family.  A man is happy (which is an emotion of the soul) when he enjoys the fruit of his labor. Psalm 128:2 says, “You will eat the fruit of your labor: Blessings and prosperity will be yours.”

It is not well with a person when he is depressed and getting out of shape because of lack of work. The truth is, labor helps keep a man fit and happy. It gives him dignity, honor, and self-respect so he can enjoy life with a healthy soul and a healthy body.

So if you don’t have a job, make every effort to get one. Obtaining a good job can solve many problems in your home.

DAY 12 - Live by the Golden Rule

     No one, including pastors and ministers, is exempt from the Golden Rule found in Matthew chapter 7:

MATTHEW 7:12 - Therefore, whatsoever you want men to do to you,

do also to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

How can we ever fulfill the Law and the Prophets under the New Covenant? Jesus tells us in this scripture: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. We should invest into the lives of others whatever we want out of life for ourselves. If we want people to do good to us, we should do good to others. If we want people to forgive us for our offenses, we should forgive others for theirs. If we want people to help us, we should sow seeds of helping others. If we want people to give to us, we should give to others as the Lord leads.

I remember a day when I and a friend of mine had to deliberately choose to live by the Golden Rule. I had just picked up a Portuguese pastor and some friends at the Los Angeles International Airport. While we were in the process of obtaining their luggage, one of the ladies in the party accidentally bumped into a stranger. The person who was bumped promptly began to throw a ridiculous tantrum over this minor incident. I looked at my friend and said, “This is a great time for us to sow mercy and kindness.” And that’s exactly what we did! Because we planted mercy instead of judgment, we left the

airport excited over our seed. We knew that meant we would reap a harvest of mercy and kindness in our own lives from others.

On the other hand, I have seen people in McDonald’s acting like two-year-olds, screaming and yelling over a cold french fry! During those times, I felt so sorry for the poor little cashiers who had to bear the brunt of this immaturity. I was embarrassed to admit that I was associated with this type of person. Too often children of God just don’t realize how much bad seed they are sowing out in the world when they treat others rudely.

If we want people to give us favor, we should plant favor. If we want people to treat us politely, we should be polite to others. If we want to be treated kindly, we should treat others kindly. In whatever way we want people to treat us, that is how we should treat them because there is always a like harvest to be reaped after planting seed.

Man didn’t create this avenue of increase; our Heavenly Father did — and He did it for the benefit of His children. God believes what the Word says about sowing and reaping in the following scriptures:

ECCLESIASTES 11:1 - Cast your bread upon the waters: for you will find it

after many days.

     A major portion of our increase comes through the law of seedtime and harvest. First, we must scatter, plant, or sow seed in order to reap a harvest. If we sow nothing, we will not reap large acreage of produce. Next, we reap what we sow. Whether we sow mercy and forgiveness or judgment and condemnation, we will receive a harvest of the same. Therefore, whatever we want out of life, that is what we should invest into the lives of others.

Finally, according to Jesus, walking down the avenue of sowing and reaping actually fulfills the Law and the Prophets. Therefore, we should always remember not to “…be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Gal. 6:9).

DAY 11 - You Reap What You Sow

Galatians 6:7 shows us another aspect of sowing and reaping: A farmer will reap what he sows. If he sows oats, he can’t cry and say, “I wanted corn! Why do I keep reaping oats?” If he wants corn, he has to start planting corn, because the seed he sows is the kind of harvest he will reap.

If some Christ followers could look at their deposits in Heaven, They would find out that their account balance reads zero. These followers haven’t been sowing into the Kingdom; therefore, no harvest has been accumulating to their heavenly account.

You see, if you have given nothing to God, He will multiply that nothing and give it back to you. That means you reap a harvest of nothing because zero times any number, no matter how big, still equals zero.

Selfishness Stops Sowing

The main attribute that prevents people from sowing is selfishness. No one is helped by that carnal quality. Suppose a man decides to save his left arm from wearing out by just using his right arm. He thinks, When my right arm gets tired, I can just switch over and use the left one. But what would happen to this man’s left arm if he did that? It would lose its ability to function, wouldn’t it? Such reasoning may sound foolish and ridiculous. But the truth is, it’s the same reasoning a person uses who has one hundred thousand dollars stashed away because he’s afraid that one of these days he won’t have enough money left for the lifestyle he wants to live. It is right to save but not in fear and at the neglect of sharing our resources.

When a person lives in selfishness, the root is deep-seated in fear. It’s gross to care more for one’s own welfare than for helping others in need. Selfishness leads to an impoverished spirit, an empty soul, and a wasted body.

Day 10 - Sowing and Reaping

There is one who scatters, and yet INCREASES; and there is One who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich: and he who waters will be watered himself.— Proverbs 11: 24,25

The divine law of sowing and reaping is an unavoidable avenue that must be traveled to obtain a life of continual

increase. The book of Second Corinthians explains this law:

2 CORINTHIANS 9:6 But this I say, He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

The Living Bible puts it this way: 2 CORINTHIANS 9:6 (TLB)

But remember this — if you give little, you will get little. A farmer who plants just a few seeds will get only

a small crop, but if he plants much, he will reap much. To Reap, You Must Sow.

I like what Professor Keith Moore taught me while I was attending Bible college in 1992. He said, “When you see ‘sowing’ in the Scripture, you will see ‘reaping’ immediately after. When the Bible talks about seedtime, harvest is mentioned soon after. And when it discusses giving, receiving is soon to follow.”

You see, sowing and reaping, seedtime and harvest, and giving and receiving all describe the same principle. We have to

plant something first in order to receive a harvest. This principle is true in every area of life. For instance, look at the following passage:

LUKE 6:35-38 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High: For He is kind unto the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 37 Judge not, and you shall not be judged: Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned: Forgive, and you shall be forgiven: 38 Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure,

pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure

that you use, it shall be measured back to you.

If you want to be judged or condemned, just make a practice of judging and condemning others. On the other hand, if

you want to receive mercy and forgiveness, you should sow mercy and forgiveness. Give because you love people, and

people will love you.

A tiny tomato seed has power to produce stocks with fruit way larger than itself. With the right cultivation, time, germination, and generation it can multiply a harvest that is big enough to produce a ketchup factory.

Think about a farmer who sows in the natural. If he wants a harvest of corn, he better sow some seed. Suppose the

farmer sits in his house and says, “I’m going to have a gigantic crop and a great increase in my harvest this year.”

You ask him, “Brother, how much seed did you plant this year?” He responds, “I don’t believe in that sowing business —

but I’m waiting on God” If that farmer waits all day long, every day of the year, but never sows any kernels of corn as seed, he won’t reap a harvest of corn. The principle is clearly scriptural: “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Gal. 6:7). In order to reap a harvest, a farmer must plant seed.

Day 9 - Maintain a High Standard of Integrity

        Good stewardship has a lot to do with integrity. Agood steward maintains a high level of integrity with that which belongs to others. For instance, I have seen believers flunk the integrity test at fast-food restaurants. The cashier gives a person back an extra ten dollars in change by mistake. But instead of returning the money, the person puts it in his pocket. Then on Sunday morning he gets up in church and testifies how the Lord blessed him with an extra ten dollars last week. But the Lord didn’t bless that person; he just failed the integrity test. People who con other people all the time violate God’s standard of integrity. For example, have you ever heard someone pray at an altar next to someone who is known to have some money? The person praying might say, “Lord, you know my heart. You know my need. You know that it must be met by next week. Lord, send somebody who is sensitive. Send somebody who knows Your voice. Send somebody who is truly led by You.” If the listener gives money to the person who prayed, the recipient of the money might claim the Lord blessed him. But the Lord didn’t bless him; that person conned that money out of the other believer. There are people in jail today for just that kind of crime!

Dr. Leroy Thompson, pastor of Word of Life Christian Center in Darrow, Louisiana, says that the person praying may as well keep his or her integrity and ask the other person, “Would you please meet my need?” or “Would you buy me a new washing machine?” etc.9

Conning is a dangerous thing to do. Ananias and Sapphira tried to con Peter and the other apostles into believing they gave more to the Lord than they did. Peter said that they were not lying to men but to the Holy Ghost. You remember what happened to them, don’t you? They didn’t live much longer (Acts 5:1-10)! You can’t con people or violate your integrity and still

expect God to anoint and bless you. You can’t cheat on your taxes or steal supplies and materials from your employer and still expect God’s best. If you can’t be faithful in that which is another man’s, then who will commit to you the true riches (Luke 16:11)?

Kenneth E. Hagin describes three reasons why people don’t prosper the way they should be: Number one, some people haven’t prospered because they are lazy…. Then number two, others haven’t prospered and won’t prosper because of extravagance…. The number three reason folks are not prospering is closely related to reason number two: poor management.10

We need to be faithful in every area of life. We should be faithful with our time and with our bodies. We should be faithful to our employer, in our relationships, and in our church. We should be faithful in our marriages, which entails not just abstinence from immorality, but constant maintenance. And we should be faithful with our money. We should refuse to allow ourselves to live loose, lax, lazy lives. If necessary, we just need to “jerk out the slack and tighten the chain,” so to speak, in the area of stewardship. The principles of stewardship are simple:

• Stay extremely faithful with what you have.

• Stay informed about the state of your finances.

• Cut out all waste.

• Maintain a high standard of integrity.

The Bible says that to whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48). In addition, Luke 16:10 states that the person who is faithful in little will be faithful in much. So pay closer attention to stewardship. As you walk down this particular avenue of increase, you will enjoy the benefits for years to come.

9Leroy Thompson, “What To Do When Your Faith Is Challenged,” CM311 Audiotape (Tulsa: Kenneth Hagin Ministries, July 29, 1994).

10Biblical Keys to Financial Prosperity, 161-167.

Day 8 - Stewardship

Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her INCREASE.— Psalm 85:12

Another extremely significant avenue of increase is the avenue of good stewardship.

Don’t Overspend

A steward is a financial manager or treasurer of a household or estate. Being a good steward of your finances means that you have more money coming in than you have going out. You make sure you spend less than the total amount of your income. If you make two hundred dollars per week, but you have more money coming in than you actually spend, then you are exercising good stewardship. If you apply this principle of stewardship to whatever income you have, you will be much better off than someone who earns sixty thousand dollars a year but overspends. Just because a person has a larger paycheck doesn’t mean he is being faithful with what he has.

It is a sad thought, but too many are unfaithful and violate good stewardship with their finances. They get impatient, charge things they can’t afford on their credit card, and then end up paying more in the long run.  But most of the time the Lord wants us to wait more and pay less. He utterly does not want us to overspend. Therefore, there are some things that need to be considered in the area of stewardship.

Important Points of Stewardship

First, we need to be faithful with what we have. Even though our possessions may not amount to much in terms of material value, we still must take care of them. For example, the U.S. Army spends extra time conducting preventative maintenance checks and services so that equipment will last longer. This means fewer dollars spent on purchasing new equipment and more money to spend on other things in the long run. The same principle holds true for our personal possessions. We need to treat our belongings with respect and not allow other people to misuse them. As we conduct proper maintenance on the material things we already have, not only will our possessions last longer, but God will be able to bless us with more.

Another aspect of stewardship is keeping well-informed on the state of our finances. For example, a cattleman should be attentive to know the condition of his flocks. A farmer should know the state of his crops. An investor needs to stay updated on the status of his stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Regarding our own personal finances, we should always be aware of how much money we have coming in and going out. We need to know how much interest we are paying on our home, car, and other loans. We should be observant enough to know at any given time the pay-off amount on any loan. In other words, we have to take responsibility and stay

informed about the state of our finances.

Next, we need to cut out all waste. Do you remember the story about Jesus feeding five thousand people? He instructed His disciples to pick up the leftovers — twelve baskets full (Luke 9:17)! Was this because Jesus had a poverty mentality? No! He was teaching us something about stewardship. He doesn’t want us to waste the provisions He has supplied to us. Many people say that the desire to cut out waste comes from a spirit of poverty. But the truth is, it’s just practical wisdom. For instance, right before the recession of the ’70s hit, one president of an extremely large ministry was led by the Lord to let many employees go. This was a wise decision based on stewardship. Because he made the wise choice to cut out any unnecessary employees, he sailed through that recession without a financial struggle.

We may not always like the solutions God gives us to help us out of financial difficulties, but the Lord will be truthful with us in order to get us back on track. For instance, Jesus was truthful with the Syrophoenician woman whose daughter was demon-possessed. But even though He referred to the woman as a “dog,” using the Jewish term for Gentiles, she just humbly responded, “Truth, Lord”:

MATTHEW 15:25-28 -Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not good to take the children’s bread, and to throw it to the little dogs. 27 And she said, TRUTH, LORD: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.

28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, “O woman, great is your faith: let it be to you as you desire. And her daughter was made healed from that very hour.

If we were wise, we would respond to God’s correction, reproof, and instruction with the same humility the Syrophoenician woman did and say, “Truth, Lord.” I know of a preacher whom the Lord once told to return his car to the car dealer after he had already made several payments on it. It was one of those difficult solutions the Lord sometimes gives to help one of His children get his finances in order. You see, the minister had wanted the car so badly that he had purchased it on credit without making sure the Lord wanted him to do it.

So with great remorse, the preacher obeyed God and returned the car. He didn’t want to do it, but instead of being rebellious and hardhearted, he submitted himself to God and did it anyway. That man’s obedience put him in a position to resist the devil. And in response to his obedience, the Lord caused great financial increase to come into his life in the months and years ahead.

The Lord may say something similar to us one day: “I told you not to purchase that thing, but you disobeyed.” He may tell us to return a coveted possession or sell a cherished piece of equipment that “we just had to buy.” If He does, we should respond just as the Syrophoenician woman did: “Truth, Lord.”

If you’re struggling with a burden of debt and can’t make some of your payments on time, don’t be irresponsible. Talk over the situation with your creditors. Do whatever you can

to work with them so you don’t end up with a bad credit rating. You need to humble yourself and make any adjustments God deems necessary to get you out of your financial troubles. Be mature enough to learn from your mistakes, start over responsibly, and apply that part of stewardship people often forget about: cut out all waste.

Day 7 - Put the Lord’s Work First

Let me explain one struggle I had regarding putting God first in my finances. While I was a student at Bible College, I attended a class on the subject of “Giving and Receiving.” The teacher, Rev. Keith Moore, instructed us to read the Old Testament minor prophet Haggai five times. As I read this book, I could not grasp the importance of the theme. Approximately twenty readings later, I still didn’t understand.

I struggled with the material like a child frustrated with long division. I just could not comprehend the concepts presented in that book of the Bible. And although I acknowledged the truths mentally, I did not believe them enough to put them into action in my life. Finally, about four years later, the Lord helped me understand through some other material by Rev. Moore that the theme of the book of Haggai is “putting the Lord’s house first.” In Haggai, the Lord asks a question through the prophet: “Is it time for you to build your house and make life comfortable for yourself, but yet my house lies in waste?” (Hag. 1:4). Of course, you know the appropriate response is “No!” The book of Haggai can be summed up with one scripture: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33).

The Lord wants His house to be first. His Kingdom plan should be first. He wants His ministries and ministers to come first. He wants His projects to come first, such as feeding the poor and visiting those in hospitals, nursing homes, and prisons. At the time I was attending that “Giving and Receiving” class and reading the book of Haggai over and over again, I wasn’t putting the Lord’s interests first. Instead of laboring to help the work of God and the business of God first, I was most interested in paying my rent, my tuition, my car and insurance payments, and all my other bills. But later I learned from Scripture that believers should put the work of God before their own rent, utilities, and bills. For example, the Bible says in Ephesians 4:28, “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands for what is good, that he may have to give to him who has need.” Until I learned this, I thought, I have to work to pay my bills and all my other expenses. All day, every day, I had the mentality that paying off bills is the purpose of work. But I discovered by the grace of God that I had been thinking and believing wrong! We need to work and we need to pay our bills.

However, our employment is an opportunity to minister, to serve, love others, befriend others, and eventually invite them to church. Not only that but our job is one place we grow and mature in areas like character, faithfulness, and the fruit of the spirit.

Learn To Be a ‘Distribution Center’. Now I realize that I am a distribution center, working so I will have the ability to “share” or to distribute a supply to ministries and those in need. A distribution center has items coming in and going out all the time. Paul said to the Philippian church:

PHILIPPIANS 4:15 - Now you Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church SHARED with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.

One meaning of the Greek word “koy-no-nos,” translated as “share” in the New King James Version, means to distribute.6 “Share,” according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, means to share with others; distribution, partner.7 So then, one meaning of share is to participate in both giving and receiving the way a partner does in a business deal. When we participate with God by receiving His blessings and giving to others, we are communicating or distributing as partakers and partners in the work of His Kingdom. This brings more light to Hebrews 13:16: “But to do good and to share [participate, distribute] forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

The bottom line is that believers should go to work in order to be distribution centers.

1 TIMOTHY 6:17,18  - Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy;

18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, READY TO DISTRIBUTE, WILLING TO SHARE.

            The Lord spoke to me in my spirit once, asking me this question: “How big of a distribution center do you want to be?” I replied, “A big one, Lord!” The Lord said, “It is up to you. You can be as a small shelf or a 60,000-square-foot warehouse. It all depends on how much you are willing to distribute in order to be a blessing to others.”

So we see that the first and most important principle of increase is putting the Lord first. God wants us to prosper financially! But our prosperity depends on putting first things first.  God wants to be first in our lives. He wants to be before our children, our spouse, our car, or our house. He even wants to be before our ministry or our job.

Achan committed idolatry by putting himself first. But we can flee idolatry by honoring God with our tithe, the first and the best ten percent of all our increase. If we have integrity we have to acknowledge according to Haggai 1:5-7, Proverbs 3:9, and Matthew 6:33, blessings are added to us as we obey God by honoring Him with the first portion. When we put the Lord and His works first, when we labor for the needs of others rather than for personal gain and material possessions, we avoid putting “holes in our pockets.” That’s when God can load us daily with His benefits (Ps. 68:19)!

Now, it’s important to understand that God is not a respecter of persons; He loves all people the same. He doesn’t love any one person better than another. His statutes are for all people, everywhere. So if this avenue of putting God first leads one person to improving God’s way, it will do the same for every person who walks down its path. And that includes you!

6W. E. Vine, Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1985), 177.

7James H. Strong, “Greek Dictionary of the New Testament,” The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), 42.