We have lived in a farming community for most of our lives, so we have been able to watch what farmers do. I don’t know of a single farmer that plants corn and doesn’t expect to harvest corn. No, they start planning for the harvest during the winter, long before they even plant the seed. I would dare to say that any farmer who planted seed but didn’t expect to harvest it would be the laughing stock of his peers. This is a biblical principle to expect to receive a return from the Lord when we plant our seed. Givers are blessed in this way.

A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor (Proverbs 22:9).

When my wife and I were first married we were living in an apartment building. Like many young couples we were starting to save for the down-payment to purchase a house. We were just starting to put money away, and we realized we had a long way to go. We felt like we should take a seed and sow it. Since seeds reproduce after their own kind and our goal was to own a house we wanted to give the money toward a building project of some kind. So we gave $500 from our meager savings to help build an orphanage in Brazil. Sure enough, a few years later, we moved into a new home that we had designed and built. God just brought the right people into our lives at the right time to help with the construction and purchase of the home. If you struggle with giving and expecting a return I would respectfully encourage you to take another look at the scriptures. Luke 6:38 states clearly:

 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

How can this scripture be read to mean something other than what it explicitly says? Please let the truth of this scripture impact you and let it replace your feelings of false humility or wrong teaching you might have received. No, God is not a slot machine that you put something in and get something out. On the contrary He is a loving Father who has made a commitment to you which He desires to uphold. This is God’s desire and His promise to us. If we learn his economy our finances will be blessed.