Breaking financial hardship through grace – Part 3
Chidi Okoroafor
The Macedonian Church was a Church that its members loved to give in support of God’s work even beyond their territory.
Exceeding grace was bestowed upon them that caused them to give in support of Paul’s ministry in Jerusalem far more than they could afford.
As a result of their giving, the Grace of God was provoked and released and in turn, the blessings of God rested upon them.
Lack was broken in their lives and they ceased from being people suffering from deep poverty.
Grace takes you beyond natural limitations and insufficiency: Your connection (attachment) to grace enables you to escape from bondage.
Nothing works by might in God’s kingdom but by grace: Zechariah 4:6: “Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”
As already said in this series, which we began two weeks ago, giving provokes grace to be released upon a person’s life and grace breaks financial hardship. In 1 Kings 17, we saw the power of Grace in breaking hardship.
As the brook of Jordan was getting dried up, God instructed Elijah to move to Zarephath, where He had prepared a widow to take care of him.
On arrival at the gate of the town, Elijah saw the widow gathering sticks.
Elijah asked for water, as she was going to bring it, Elisha asked for bread.
The widow replied in 1 Kings 17:12, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug.
I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”
Elijah asked her to go and prepare the meal but serve him first to eat and then after she and her son can eat the remaining food.
In 1 Kings 17:14, Elijah released the prophetic Word of Grace and said to the widow “For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.”
She went away and did as Elijah had told her.
So, there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.
For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.
The poor widow broke financial hardship in her life by giving, and she had more than enough to eat and to give to others all through the days of her life. What a giving provoking grace!
Never use your current situation as an excuse not to give, because the Macedonian Church gave during their great trial of affliction.
Giving breaks lack in your life. 2 Corinthians 8:2, “How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.”
What happens when you give? The answer is found in 2 Corinthians 9:8 and it says, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: “Giving gives you access to grace of always having under all circumstances and whatever the need be, requiring no aid or support to respond to any financial need, when it arises.
Today’s Nugget: Giving gives you access to grace of always having sufficiency.
Prayer: Lord, I receive the Grace of Always having in my life in Jesus Name, Amen.
Prayer lines: 09078154261.
E-mail: evangelgospel@yahoo.com
Dr. Chidi Okoroafor, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Nigeria
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