Divine Opportunities for Increase: Blogpost 3

Welcome back!

This is the 3rd part of this blogpost series.

We have been looking at how God increases by bringing divine opportunities our way.

In parts 1 & 2, we discussed 2  divine opportunities for increase;

1. Service: God can give us opportunities to render selfless and outstanding service thereby making service our springboard to increase or growth.
2. Receiving and Acting on an unusual instruction from God: God may send us unusual or strange instructions which are often difficult, which test our faith and trust in Him, but which ultimately bring overwhelming increase to us.

Today we consider the third divine opportunity for increase;

3. Benevolence

Benevolence simply means disposition or inclination to do good. An act of kindness, a charitable gift. We see a biblical definition of benevolence in 2 Corinthians 9:9;

“As it is written and forever remains written, ‘he (the benevolent and generous person), scattered abroad, he gave to the poor, his righteousness endures forever.”  Amplified Bible.

Obviously benevolence strongly relates to giving to others in need.

Look now, both the dictionary and the biblical definitions suggest this has to be a lifestyle.

A disposition is a person’s inherent quality of mind and character.

And ‘scattered’ which we’re lifting from 2 Corinthians 9:9 literally means to throw in various random directions. To disperse.

So benevolence therefore refers to a lifestyle of continuously dispersing as an act of kindness to those in need.

I came across another beautiful description of benevolence recently in Isaiah 58:6-7, (even though from a ‘fasting perspective’)  and with a string of blessings and increases;

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out? when you see the naked, that you cover them and not hide yourself from your own flesh? 

Now see the blessings that follow such acts in verses 8-9a;

“Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you. The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call and the Lord will answer.”    NKJV

Benevolence surely presents us a divine opportunity for increase!

We need to quickly add here though, that there are many needy, many naked, many hungry all over the world. We may not as individuals reach every of such people everywhere. But there is always a ‘Lazarus’ at our gate.  There is always someone around us that would have a better life experience if we release some of what we have, use and consume.  And God may have strategically located some of such people around us.

I want to also quickly clarify that the kind of ‘Christians’ who stand at church gates, seeking out the ‘rich’ few in a congregation. Those kind of ‘Christians’ who have heard the gospel, received Christ as Lord and Savior, but who have refused to listen to God’s advice of ‘whatsoever thy hands findeth to do ,do, and I’ll bless the works of thy hands’ do not in my opinion qualify as benevolent cases. They are not the poor Jesus Christ referred to in Luke 4:18. Those ‘poor’ are those who need the gospel to get them out of their poverty and transform them into channels of blessings to others.

True that brethren may have a temporary setback in life and need support to go through such phase, but a lazy Christian, who decides to build a tent and dwell under perpetual benevolence robs himself of the all of Abraham’s blessings plus more, that are his.

All the characters we have used as examples of those who have experienced divine increase in this blogpost series, are people who have put their hands to work. (Selah).

So sure, benevolence is a divine opportunity for increase. And God has strategically located persons in need around us.

We can ask His guidance to help us decide which of these is our ‘Lazarus’.  And as we continuously scatter, making helping others a lifestyle, we will ourselves grow and increase on every side. Amen.

AboutGrace Obomanu

Grace obomanu is a Christian Blogger and Founder; 'Grace Obomanu Foundation'. Grace is an inspiring writer who intentionally projects the truth of God's word by sharing simple yet profound truths from the Bible. She writes with a revelational thrust, sharing wisdom, insights relatable to everyday living with particular emphasis on Victorious Christian Living. Her foundation, a non-profit trustee, continues to make impact, adding value to people's lives through outreaches, mentorship, bible teachings and counseling, partnerships. Grace has a diploma in Ministerial Training (with emphasis on Spiritual Leadership from Rhema Bible Training Center Nigeria. She trained as a medical doctor and has years of experience in Health Systems Management. She also holds a master's degree in Public Health from the University of Liverpool.