But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won't he much more clothe you, you of little faith? Therefore don't be anxious, saying, 'What will we eat?', 'What will we drink?' or, 'With what will we be clothed?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first God's Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:30–33 WEB.

Jesus said, "Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things (material things) will then be added to you." Elijah told the widow, "First make me a little cake and afterward make something for yourself" (1 Kings 17:13). God said, "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, and I will open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there will not be room enough for." (Malachi 3:10). Jesus said, "Give (first), and it will be given to you (later)" (Luke 6:38).

God's love is unconditional. He loves the entire world (John 3:16), yet His blessings throughout Scripture depend on our obedience to His word. Most of the promises in Scripture contain a conditional like: "If you do this, then I will do that." Even John 3:16 includes a choice with "whoever believes in Him." Which means that some people will choose not to.

For example, 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." If we want to see the last part happen, we must do the first part. What will happen if we don't bother to humble ourselves and pray? You get the picture.

Obedience is the ultimate form of praise and the fruit of faith. It proves that you believe in Him enough to take action on it. We can work so hard to make ends meet, but unless we put Him first financially, we will always have holes in our pockets (Haggai 1:6). When we choose obedience, He will rain His blessings down on us (Deuteronomy 28:12). We can pray and beg for Him to bless us, or we can just do what He, said and the blessings will begin to fall like rain.

It's a circle of trust. God tells us to give to someone, and when we do, He tells someone to give to us. Then, someone else will give back to them. If your life isn't being blessed, then perhaps you skipped part 1: First, be a blessing to someone else, for Jesus said, "Give, and it will be given to you." In a garden, you first plant a seed and later gather a harvest. It's the principle of sowing and reaping. If you don't plant the seed, all you get is weeds.

So many times while joyfully serving God, I have suddenly received things beyond what I thought possible. God really knows how to be extravagant, and it often brings tears to my eyes when I see His excellence and timing. When God blesses you, you are truly blessed. Our giving doesn't go unnoticed. The angel told Cornelius: "Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God" (Acts 10:4).

As a young Christian, I worked a job earning $250 a week. On Sunday, I went up front to put my $25 tithe in the offering basket. When I got home later and sat down to read my Bible, I found that someone had slipped an envelope with $250 cash into my Bible while I was away. That day I had given Him ten percent, and He gave me back tenfold.

Another time I gave $40 in an offering, and the preacher prayed a blessing over the basket that it would be returned one-hundredfold. Within a month, someone gave me $4,000 to help me buy a car. I gave $40. God multiplied it one hundred times and gave it back in a month. Sowing and reaping is the kingdom way.

These aren't normal occurrences. They are examples of the blessing of God that follows obedience to His word. I'm telling you this because it is real, and we live it in our own life. Yet, we see so many people struggling just to get by. My heart goes out to them, and we try and help as we can. But there isn't enough money on earth to help you if God Himself blows it all away (Haggai 1:9).

The word of God is true. God is not dead, nor is He blind, and He is pretty good at math. A 100% return on 0 will always be 0. That will never come up before God as a memorial, at least in a good way. So give first, and it will be multiplied and returned to you later. Or learn to embrace poverty with a smile and a positive attitude. Paul learned to be content in whatever circumstance he found himself, so it's certainly an option (Philippians 4:11).

In all areas of our life, God wants to be first, and when you do, He will bless you beyond what you think is possible. God is always looking for ways to bless us, but it often requires a leap of faith on our part to get started. The greatest blessings await those who are willing to trust Him. Give the Lord first place in your life in all areas, and follow His gentle prompting, for faith without works is dead (James 2:26).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I adore You and pray that You make this word real to me. Please lead me into all that You have in store. Help me to break out of the normal cycle. Grow my faith, Lord. Help me walk closer to You and speak to me in a way that I understand. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: Today is "Feel Good Friday" at the FAAD (Fight Against Anxiety & Depression) group! On this day, we uplift each other with posts of encouragement and joy! All are welcome to join and participate! As always, if you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network. If you are interested in joining the prayer team, here is how to get started Prayer Partners.