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###### To Lay Out for God Is Honorable 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 Honorable Work}

It is also honorable work to lay out for God. “One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, And He will repay him for his good deed” (Proverbs 19:17 NASB). And, is this not honorable to [seem to] make God a debtor and to get Him Who is over all, blessed forever, become bound to His creature? Oh, what honor is this, that the Giver of all should seem to be beholden to His creatures who have their all from Him. Do you have anything you can part with for Christ? Think what honor it is that God entrusts you with bestowing such gifts on His behalf. The Lord might have made you beggars, not givers. Who has made you to differ (1 Corinthians 4:7)?1560 Why are grace, gifts, strength, estate, or time put into your hand, and not into others? It shows that God has a good opinion of your faithfulness and so indicates honor.1561 Oh, let not God have cause to revoke this estimation!

1560“For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7 NKJV).

1561This statement is not true. It is certainly honorable to obey God, but God gives good things even to the wicked and to disobedient Christians. Outward circumstances are not indicators of God’s favor or disfavor unless there is directly observable cause and effect, such as the impoverishment of habitual drunkards.

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