TGIF Today God Is First - Money & StewardshipSample

Receiving Only From God

Abraham’s nephew was a man named Lot. Lot was part of Abraham’s  household until the land on which they fed their flocks could no longer  support their growing families and herds. Abraham allowed Lot to choose  the land where he wanted to live. Lot chose the land of Sodom.

Afterwards, Sodom was invaded by four kings, and Lot’s family and  goods were taken into captivity. When Abraham learned of this, he  immediately gathered his best fighting men and pursued the armies to  free Lot and his family. He was successful in freeing Lot’s family and  the families of Sodom. The king of Sodom was grateful to Abraham for  what he did and wanted him to keep the goods he recovered. Abraham had  made a decision before the battle that he would only keep what he  recovered for his nephew Lot, and goods as payment for the men who  fought.

Abraham understood the principle of receiving from God. He was a man  with great integrity in God. He did not want to be known as someone who  became wealthy because of the kindness of a wicked king. He wanted  others to know that whatever prosperity he gained was a result of the  blessing from God’s hand alone. Abraham understood an important  principle of receiving from God.

Jesus also modeled this principle by receiving only what His Father  wanted Him to receive. God’s will for Jesus was to receive based on a  carpenter’s wage even though He was the God of the universe who had  access to all things. Imagine the discipline Jesus had to have, knowing  what He could have had. He upheld His own financial integrity in God.

Each of us must discern what comes from the hand of God rather than  the hand of man. As businesspeople, there are situations that allow us  to manipulate, sweat, and toil our way to profit. There is also profit  as a result of hard work done in obedience to our calling to the  marketplace. Knowing the difference in these two concepts is a sign of  integrity before God. Only God receives glory when we receive what God  wants us to receive. Are you receiving the fruit of your labor in God?  Ask God to show you the difference of these two concepts for your own  life.

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