Category: Lessons from the Wise Guy
Glorify Yahweh out of your wealth and out of the first of all your produce, and your storehouses will be filled full and new wine will burst your wine vats. (Proverbs 3:9-10)
Solomon makes this claim on very solid footing. He has God on record affirming that if the Jews would keep the covenant, He would prosper them beyond their wildest dreams. When they did, He did (Solomon would know). But when they became fat, dumb, and happy, they forgot how they got that way, and began dancing with idols, which led to God keeping the other promise of the covenant--that if they disobeyed He would destroy them. Which He also did.
The relationship between honoring God with money and in turn receiving His blessing is not exclusive to the Old Covenant, however. The New Covenant of which we are a part also speaks of it using the concepts of reaping and sowing. The apostle Paul declares that those who give a lot will get a lot; and those who play Scrooge will get scrooged.
In 2 Corinthians 9, this point is made clearly and without qualification. In the context of preparing a bountiful gift of money to be taken to poor believers elsewhere, the apostle affirms: He who sows in a limited way, in a limited way also he will reap; and he who sows in blessing, in blessing also he will reap (v6). God loves a cheerful giver (v7). (And we know that God's love never remains inside as mere emotion; it always comes out in action.) God is able to make all grace abound to each believer (v8). He who supplies seed for sowing will multiply seed and increase the harvest (v10). He will give us more so that we have more reason to give thanks (v11).
Although we are not permitted to simply name and claim God's blessings, we are permitted (better, required) to expect them when He has promised them to us. We need to be careful not to allow the abuse of a few fools or thugs to distort the true meaning of words. We should give generously (especially) to believers in need, and expect (without presumption) that God will give us more to give away.
Here is where a motivation check is a good idea. Our reason for giving should never be solely so that God will give more to us; nor should we give more at the end of a year merely to reduce our taxable income. We should give because it pleases the Lord Jesus Christ; and because God has blessed us so that we can be a blessing to others. And because our King will reward us. But that last one ought not be the first one.