By Faith, I Promise

But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand. – 1 Chronicles 29:14

King David, having collected the materials for the building of God’s Temple in Jerusalem, marveled at the number of contributions that had been received. As a leader, he was overwhelmed by the abundance, but equally awed by God who supplied it. David understood that even though “people” had been used to provide, an omnipotent Creator had made the provision possible.

This is the essence of "faith-promise" giving (and why I have been an advocate of it for well over three decades). When we give by faith upon the promise of God to fulfill it, we do not magnify our own generosity, but rather the generosity of God in making the funds available. We do not generate the resources; we only agree to allow that which God has provided to flow through our hands to those enterprises that God has deemed worthy of our support. Even when faith-promise gifts should fall short of the amount we understand is necessary, we can conclude that we should prayerfully reconsider our objectives, realizing that the Lord completely funded what He desired to see us accomplish.

Live your life in such a way that the Lord Himself is behind every promise you make. “Lord, as you have or will provide $______, then I will certainly give $(the same),” is a blessed way to give and also a sure way to grow in your partnership with others in ministry.

God judges what we give by what we keep. – George Mueller