“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat” (Gen. 1:29 KJV).
When you give as a lifestyle, you put yourself in position to be blessed abundantly. I’ve been living this way for so long that now when I sow, I get a quick return. But it wasn’t always like that. It used to be like Ecclesiastics said, “Cast thy bread on the water and thou shall find it after many days.” I’d say to God, “God where is it?” But as with anything, if you want it, you have to give it time and you must be consistent.
After walking in the Word for over 20 years, I receive quick returns. One day I blessed one of the police officers in our church with $300 for a side arm he wanted. I went right upstairs to my office and on my desk was a check for $300. Two days later, another pastor in the city came by my office and gave me a side arm that was worth $1,300. Now I started out sowing seed of $300. And God multiplied my seed.
Now that’s just a small example. One of the reasons we have been able to acquire the building and land for our church is because the Spirit of God moved upon us to give. We could have said, “Well so-and-so built their building with cash and in record time.”
First of all, you haven’t heard the whole story. Second of all, you never compare yourself or your church to other things. A person’s testimony is not for you to make a comparison by it. It is to teach you what will happen if you obey the Word of God.
And the Holy Spirit will lead you to sow, because God wants you to be blessed. And when the body begins to do what God says then all the needs of the body will be met. And there’s so much seed out there that God can multiply.
Well, you come to the place that you receive quick returns on your giving. After 20 years of this, I found that when I sow seed the return comes quickly. Make giving your lifestyle, and you’ll truly live in the blessings of God.
Scripture Reference: Ecclesiastes 11:1; Revelation 12:11
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Keith Butler has been an ordained minister since 1974. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and holds diplomas from Canada Christian College and Rhema Bible Training Center.
He serves in ministry with the support of his lovely wife, Pastor Deborah L. Butler, and their children: Pastor Andre Butler (granddaughters Alexis, Angela, and April), Pastor MiChelle Ferguson and husband Pastor Lee (grandson Lucas), and Minister Kristina Jenkins and husband Pastor Joel (grandsons Andrew and Austin, and granddaughter Alyssa).