Spurgeon, Living, and Giving (Part 2)

As best I can tell, Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening devotions are public domain, but I would recommend this version if you want a hard copy.  

“Our God has a method in providence by which he can succeed our endeavours beyond our expectation, or can defeat our plans to our confusion and dismay; by a turn of his hand he can steer our vessel in a profitable channel, or run it aground in poverty and bankruptcy. It is the teaching of Scripture that the Lord enriches the liberal and leaves the miserly to find out that withholding tendeth to poverty.” – Charles Spurgeon (Morning and Evening)   

Spurgeon’s words are backed up by scripture and experiences in my own observation.  “The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.” (Prov. 11:25) 

It would seem that God does tend to give generously to the vessels designed to flow outward instead of inward: His people who long to give Him glory by being generous in His name.  One important thing to remember is that even in Spurgeon’s scenario, GOD is still the determining factor.  Sometimes we think that people have the power to manipulate this “principle of success and generosity” to their advantage.  Not only is this backwards, it is unbiblical.  Spurgeon still leaves the power to give and take in the providence of the Almighty.  We cannot corner God into giving us success for our generosity.  What foolishness is this?  Sadly, it is the belief of many who read these passages of scripture.  Instead, we ought to be “faithful with a few things” and pray for the wisdom to handle the “many things” if God should so choose to give them to us.