Often when I think about giving, I am reminded of an analogy: “How can God bless us if our hands are clinched, clinging onto all we have?” He can’t. However, if our hands are open, freely giving what we have, then our hands are open to receive what God wills.
In an article published by the International Missions Board, David Platt states: “A healthy church by its very definition, will create other healthy churches.[1]” As a part of the larger corporate body of the Church of God of Prophecy, we have a mission to support the work of the church around the world. By our faithful giving as members of the church, in both tithes and offerings, the faithful churches of this body are able to give to the corporate structure that goes on to help build other healthy churches. While what we think is small and will not matter, in the hands of our God goes forth to be a great sum combined with our family of faithful stewards.
1 Corinthians 16:1-4 instructs us of our giving that each week as God prospers us, we should set aside a portion to give back to the Lord. Paul even says that as he instructed the churches of Galatia, “even so do ye[2]”. I firmly believe we are all called to be faithful stewards and through our faithfulness to God and desire to please Him, we will receive “the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.[3]”
I recently witnessed the effect of faithful service and giving on August 14, 2019. Mary Green, a faithful servant and steward, suddenly fell over as her heart stopped. Her husband, Carlton, called 911 and began CPR. I’m sure it felt like hours as it took ten minutes for the paramedics to arrive. He called me in a trembling voice saying: “It’s Mary, she is not waking up. It’s not good.” I hurried to their home, praying as I traveled. One of the paramedics met me and said: “It’s not good, use your prayer line.” Immediately, we sent word for emergency prayer.
For days we sat waiting for answers holding out hope of what would happen. Doctors would talk in circles not letting onto anything, nor giving a sign of hope. On Tuesday morning August 20th, the pulmonary doctor came in to discuss the wishes of the family and to possibly make a decision to remove the life support. The prayer request went out again. By that evening, the neurologist said he was seeing normal brain activity and wanted the family to give him more time to work with her. We continued to pray, and by Thursday, August 22nd, she was opening her eyes more, and even turning her head toward me as I spoke to her. On Saturday, the doctor said the EEG report looked good and that she was doing well.
It had been ten days of waiting and not hearing anything good from the doctors, but now our hope was shining through. Sunday, August 25th was Carlton’s birthday, and just as we began to start morning worship my phone rang. The report over the phone said she had opened her eyes. Carlton had told her “I love you.” And she plainly mouthed back to him, “I love you too.”
I wanted to share that story because it proves that our faithfulness to God does not go unnoticed. God answers the prayers of his faithful servants. Mary and Carlton have served the Lord a long time. They are faithful in their giving every week and serve others diligently in and out of the church as well. Not to mention, during his wife’s stay in the hospital, Carlton has continued to be a faithful servant. He has carried a notebook with him into the ICU listening to other’s stories and asking if he can pray for them. With permission, he writes their names down in his notebook and adds them to the list for our Monday night prayer meeting.
It is in stories like this, that I am reminded of the woman with the issue of blood and the words of Jesus: “Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole.[4]” And of the man in Luke 5 who was unable to move his body, was let down through the roof by his friends, and Jesus “When he saw their faith” forgave him of his sins and said: “Arise, and take up thy couch, and go…[5]” Later in the same text the people said: “We have seen strange things today.[6]” Ironically, when the ambulance left that day, Mary’s heart was beating and one of the medics said: “That was strange. What just happened?” What happed was “God”. I do not believe Mary is with us now for us to have to make a decision later. She is with us so the power of God might be demonstrated. Friends, it is faithfulness now that helps us when tragedy hits. It’s continuing the work of a servant even when our nearest ones are dying. It is faithful stewardship in our finances and time. And it is our lives being fully given over to the Lord in good times and bad times that when the prayers go out, God sees that one of his faithful servants have fallen and says; “Oh what wonders I can perform.”
Elevation Worship’s newest song released in August “See a Victory”, begins this way: “The weapon may be formed but it won’t prosper, when the darkness falls it won’t prevail. Cause the God I serve knows only how to triumph. My God will never fail.[7]”
Therefore, I ask after seeing one man open his heart and life to others, “How can God bless us with our hands clinched holding on to everything we own?” Are you ready to give?
Update: On September 3rd Mary was moved into Hospice care, as she was not alert enough to eat or respond to physical therapy. However, on September 28th, Mary was moved from Hospice to the Meadows Nursing Home for rehabilitation as God has continued to work a miracle in her life.
[1] Platt, David (2016, August). 12 Characteristics of a Healthy Church. Retrieved from https://www.imb.org/2016/08/31/2016083112-characteristics-healthy-church/
[2] 1 Corinthians 16:1, KJV. Public Domain
[3] 1 Corinthians 15:57, KJV. Public Domain
[4] Luke 8:43-48, KJV. Public Domain
[5] Luke 5:24, KJV. Public Domain
[6] Luke 5:26, KJV. Public Domain
[7] Chris Brown, Steven Furtick, Jason Ingram, Ben Fielding, Elevation Worship, At Midnight, 2019, track 3
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