Financial Discipleship - the Bible on BudgetingSample

The disciples had been sent out by Jesus with His power and authority to preach and heal the sick. He had told them not to take anything with them, “no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt” (Luke 9:3)…

Upon their return, they told Jesus of the exciting things that had happened. Jesus, wanting some quiet time with them, took them to the small town of Bethsaida. But crowds of people found out and followed Him there as well. As another day of teaching and healing grew late, the concerned disciples said, “Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this remote place” (Luke 9:12, ESV). The disciples had to be shocked at Jesus’ response: “You feed them!”

…A small boy had brought his lunch – two fish and five loaves – and made it available…The people had enough to eat and the disciples each had a basket of food left over for themselves.

Jesus’ approach was completely unorthodox. Bypassing the limitations of human action plans, He used what was at hand and involved His disciples in doing the impossible. “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty” (Zechariah 4:6).

When we are asked by Jesus to do something, He will always arrange a way to pay for it. We must never reply to a command from the Lord with a weak “I can’t afford it.” God always pays for what He orders…

God will shatter the pint-sized expectations of His followers and their limitations when they bring Him what they have already been given.

“Little is much when God is in it.” When Christians are willing to offer their lives sacrificially, relinquishing their hold on whatever God has given them in terms of time, money, possessions, and talents, God will use these ordinary things to create extraordinary events.

Jesus teaches His financial disciples to believe that their resources are never too little to serve God. God delights in taking a humble, seemingly insignificant person with little resources and using him or her for His glory.

(excerpt taken from Financial Discipleship: Investing in Eternity, Peter J. Briscoe, 2020)