Mensa Otabil - Faith Works Through Giving
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Thanks be to God, who causes us always to triumph in Christ Jesus. We’ve established in our lesson this week that faith must have a connection with love because faith works through love. We have also established that love is manifested in giving and forgiving. Throughout the Bible, we see a direct link between faith and giving; people express their faith through their giving to God, and as they give to God, faith has a connection; faith has something to work through.
The story of Hannah in the book of Samuel is a story about faith and giving. Hannah was married for a while without a child, and she went to the house of God to pray. There, in a moment of pain, disappointment, and despair, she started praying with intensity. In her prayer, she made a vow to God and said, «God, if you will bless me with a child, then I will give the child to you.» So this is faith and giving in action: faith trusts in God, giving offers to God even what she considered the greatest thing to ever happen to her—a son.
While she was praying, she caught the attention of Eli the priest, and this is how the Bible recalls it in 1 Samuel chapter 1, verse 11: «Then she made a vow and said, 'O Lord of Hosts, if you indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me, and not forget your maidservant, but will give your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.'» This is what she said: she needs a child, but she says, «God, if you bless me with a child, I give the child to you.» Faith and giving are in action. Eli the priest then speaks into the life of Hannah and says to her, «God has heard your prayer, and you’re going to have a child.»
True to that word of promise, Hannah has a child, and true to her vow to God, when the child is old enough, she brings the child to the house of God as a gift to God to serve in the house of the Lord. Her faith in giving provoked a miracle for her, and then afterwards the most remarkable thing happened: after she had given her son to God, God gave her three more sons and two daughters. So faith and giving go hand in hand. Why? Because faith works through love, and love is manifested in giving and forgiveness. So it’s not enough to say, «I have faith; I believe God; I have strong faith, and I think it’s going to happen.»
There must be forgiveness, and there must be giving; these two are critical links for the expression of faith. Faith works through love, and so maybe God has put something on your heart to give to Him. It may be something that is very precious to you, like Samuel was to Hannah. It may even be something you don’t have, but you make a vow to God and say, «God, I’m ready to give this to you, and I trust you for that.» Be faithful to the Lord and trust Him because faith must always be anchored in love, and love is expressed in giving and forgiveness. I am Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.