Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.
Devotional Text
Giving is a privilege that God allows us so that we may participate in His blessing. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). When we “so love,” we also will “give.” Paul challenged the Corinthians to prove the sincerity of their love (2 Corinthians 8:8) with a willingness to give a missionary offering to the poor saints at Jerusalem. By so doing, they literally would be “casting their bread upon the waters,” sending their resources across the Mediterranean to a group of saints in desperate need. Whenever you purpose to give, the enemy will tell you that you are wasting your money and throwing it away. He will point out to you all your own needs and tell you that you can’t afford to give. In those times, you must remember that God’s Word is true and that whatever you give will one day find its way back to you. Those you provide for now out of your abundance may one day provide for you out of their abundance (2 Corinthians 8:14). Even if you never see any reward here on earth for your generosity, you will reap in eternity the full return of what you have sown on earth. The selfish will “die [and] carry nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave” (Psalm 49:17). But those who give will reap a sure reward. Start sowing generously to the needs of others, both here and around the world. The dividends are eternal!