“Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days.” (Ecclesiastes 11:1 NKJV) 1
This scripture is about faith, not sight. It does not make rational sense to take what you need to survive, your bread, and cast it upon the waters. However, the principle of faith is assured in that what we give away will return to us. Yeshua put it this way, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38) These scriptures are contrary to our rational thinking and not supported by experience viewed through a rational analysis. God is Spirit and like the Spirit He is invisible, yet He is a person and detectable by faith. “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8) We must evaluate our past experiences by faith, rather than merely by sight. When Yeshua said give and it will be give to you, He did not say it would be in like manner and specifically said the quantity would differ. Therefore, if we give away $100.00 we should not be looking to receive $100.00 sometime later. Faith does match up like our physical understanding often demands. Hebrews chapter eleven is a listing of people who acted by faith and received that for which they believed, some in the life to come.
I once received a gift of God while in prayer and I asked God what should be done with it, to which He replied that I might give it others, if I so desired. I thought it would be better employed if I were to share this gift among others so I did. I laid hands on the others who were willing to receive what I was offering, though I don’t know that I explained every detail. Some submitted and allowed me, a nobody, to put my hands on their heads and pray an anointing over them, others stood back. Those who received the gift of God had really good life changing experiences in the days and weeks that followed. Nothing much happened to me and the prayer group that I enjoyed so much dispersed. Many times I thought about my decision, without regret, but wondering what would have happened if I had received the gift myself. The answer is in these scriptures.
God does not need anything from us, He is not like us and He gives freely and abundantly. Whatever gift I gave away was multiplied in effect and will also come back to me pressed down, shaken together, running over. We need never fear loss of anything God gives or we give on account of God – believe it and know it.
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1 – the NIV translates the scripture “Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return.” I do not believe the Bible promotes the wisdom of international trade instead of faith.
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