DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONAL: AUGUST 21 DANGER OF KEEPING BACK FROM GOD (2) SCRIPTURE: ACTS 5: 7 – 10; Eccl. 5: 13
As seen from yesterday’s devotional and from the reading of Acts 5: 7 – 10 above, it can be concluded that Ananias and his wife Sapphira died because they held back part of the money got from selling their property; and lied about what they remitted at the Disciples’ feet as all and all of what they got. Today’s devotional begins by pointing out some sinful actions keeping back from God entails. First, keeping back is a sin of partial commitment to God. God has never been partially committed to His relationships with mankind. Whatever He is giving us He gives abundantly. God has never rations His love and grace extended to mankind. Ananias and Sapphira committed sin of partial commitment to God, by behaving contrary to the image and likeness of God which they are. When partially committed by keeping back, the action is interpreted as hoarding. Hoarders keep things back with mind of using what is hoarded to their gains later. Biblically, hoarding is termed a “severe evil” as seen in Ecclesiastes 5: 13 which says: “There is severe evil which I have seen under the sun: riches kept for their owner to his hurt” (NKJV).
Second, keeping back equals to deceptive act and is a sin. Ananias and his wife deceived the Disciples and the church by keeping back part of the money. There is no much difference between deception, stealing and lying in the Bible. The Bible says: “Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another” (Lev. 19: 11 KJV). Dealing falsely here is interpreted by other version of the Bible as “deceive”. The third sin contains in keeping back is that it makes one follower of Satan. We all know as Christians that lying tendency comes from Satan and whoever is fond of lying is directly allowing Satan to be leading him or her. Satan always directs our minds to our personal interests, what seems to be good for us. Therefore, he tells us often not to give all or much of what we have; so that when time of scarcity comes we can always fall back to that which we set aside.
The beloved in faith, we have seen three nature of sins keeping back can result to in this devotional. Looking into the churches these days will reveal many “Ananiases” and “Sapphiras”. Very few Christians, if there should be any, do not keep back their resources from the church and fellow brothers. By offerings and tithing, we keep back because what we often give as offerings and tithes are far below what we have. In bringing out to help the needy in the church, we keep back too. When some of us vow or pledge we ended up not fulfilling the vow or redeem the pledge. Thank God for the Grace that Jesus Christ brought into the church. However, the bad consequences of keeping back are still reflecting on those keeping back deliberately in the churches. Some of the misfortunes falling on some Christians can be traced to sin of keeping back from God, what God has blessed them with. God have mercy!
PRAYER:
O Lord God, I plead that you give me heart to give all that is needed for me to give to the welfare of the poor in the church or for the projects of the church I am a member, in Jesus name.
POSITIVE CONFESSION:
I have lost many fortunes to keeping back God’s given resources to me. Help me O God!
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