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###### To Lay Out for God Is Profitable Work

{Since the Heavenly Trade Is the Best Trade…

Exhortation to Good Traders in Christianity

Advice: Lay Out for God

To Lay Out for God Is Profitable Work}

To lay out for God is profitable work. The more you lay out for God, the more you get for yourselves. There is no better way to gather than to scatter for God. When you use your mercies for God’s purposes, what you do is as sowing seed that will come in again with greater increase. “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6 NASB). Laying out for God is secure trading that is not subject to hazards as earthly undertakings are, but laying out for God is under a promise of sure and great returns as has been proven above, and that is profit. Laying out for God is lending to God via an interest-bearing note, on which both principal and interest are guaranteed (Matthew 19:29).1562 “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given” (Proverbs 19:17 NKJV). The Lord takes it as done to Himself and will repay with a large multiplier. He lends to the Lord via a bond for interest as the Hebrew indicates,1563 and He will surely repay it. God is bound for it and therefore the debt is sure. People make a great mistake when they think the more they give, the less they have. This mistake starves their laying out for God, but laying out for God brings in principal and interest.1564 Giving to God sanctifies what is left and brings it under a promise of increase. This is illustrated by how the pouring out of the widow’s oil filled her vessels; the more she poured out, the more she had (2 Kings 4:5–6).1565 And, the widow of Zarephath, by first giving to the prophet, made sure her own provision in a time of famine: “Then Elijah said to her, ‘Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son. For thus says the Lord God of Israel, “The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain on the face of the earth”’” (1 Kings 17:13–14 NASB). “‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it’” (Malachi 3:10 NKJV). It is people’s stinginess against God, the poor, and pious purposes and uses that is doubtless one reason for the wastes and blasting on their outward concerns today. “The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered” (Proverbs 11:25 NASB). Cartwright and Baine think this refers to spiritual gifts since the previous verse is [supposedly] only regarding external good things. But as Mercer well observes, the sentence is general and concerns anything supplied to the needy. Such will be made prosperous; he will be so far from being impoverished by his giving that it will increase his substance. References in Proverbs 11:25 to water refer to the latter rain that brings fruit. The streams of charity are not like running water that passes away, but as fruitful showers that come again with increase. “Honor the Lord from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9–10 NASB). Multitudes of promises might be heaped up that combine to give a unified testimony to this truth (Matthew 25:29; Ecclesiastes 11:1; Proverbs 28:27; Proverbs 22:9; Isaiah 58:7–11, with many others);1566 they are abundant security for the blessings for those who lay out for God.

1562“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:29 NASB).

1563At least so far as this editor can determine, the Hebrew does not necessarily imply that the loan carries interest. However, Ashwood’s point that God repays by a great multiplier is well taken. At the same time, God will reward us according to our work, not because of our work or as wages. Christ earned the wages for us.

1564Let there be no mistake: often most of the increase, by far, is spiritual or in Heaven awaiting us.

1565“So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they were bringing the vessels to her and she poured. When the vessels were full, she said to her son, ‘Bring me another vessel.’ And he said to her, ‘There is not one vessel more.’ And the oil stopped” (2 Kings 4:5–6 NASB).

1566“For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away” (Matthew 25:29 NASB). “Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days” (Ecclesiastes 11:1 NASB). “He who gives to the poor will never want, But he who shuts his eyes will have many curses” (Proverbs 28:27 NASB). “He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor” (Proverbs 22:9 NASB). “Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday. And the Lord will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail” (Isaiah 58:7–11 NASB).

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