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Q. You advocate giving to God first. Why?

A. It's biblical. Remember the story of the widow and her son who were about to eat their last meal and die because of a severe famine? She gave to God's servant Elijah first before caring for her own needs. God worked mir-aculously so that "no matter how much they used, there was always enough [flour and oil] left in the containers" (1 Kings 17:16). When we give to God first, regardless of our needs, we see how big God can be in our lives. If we withhold from the Lord, we miss blessings and provisions the Lord longs to shower on us.

But does it still work today?

Sure. An older man told me how 50 years earlier, he and his wife committed to give God the first portion of their income. As a young couple, they searched their budget for ways to cut expenses. But they found no way to do this and still meet the needs of their growing family.

Praying over their decision, they began giving to God first anyway, knowing that by the end of the third week of every month they'd be out of money. God provided faithfully, month after month and year after year. He cared for their family crea-tively through odd jobs, leading others to share clothing or homegrown vegetables, a bonus or overtime pay from work, close-out-priced items in stores—and so on.

By making giving to the Lord's work their first financial priority, they learned more about the love, care, and reality of God as their heavenly Father than through any other spiritual discipline.

Brian Kluth is senior pastor, the First Evangelical Free Church, Colorado Springs.

Adapted from Christianity—A Follower's Guide (Broadman & Holman, 2001) by permission.

Prayer for the Week

Lord, make me a manager to whom You can confidently entrust Your resources.

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