OCTOBER 29: DECEITFUL COUPLE – ANANIAS & SAPPHIRA

Attending launching ceremonies can be very interesting especially when fund raising is at its peak. The invited dignitaries are coming up to openly state the amount they are donating; you will find some people trying to impress by mentioning amounts much higher than the last donor. People also like to have projects commissioned after them just to show off, I believe that some churches are guilty of placing a demand on members to give a certain amount just to get a special privilege than others. This is not supposed to be so as God will not be pleased with such acts and it puts other members of the church under a lot of pressure to try to do the same.

In the days of the Apostle, it was a common practice that people brought what they had to share with the brethren. No one was compelled to bring up to a certain amount or quantity of items, it was a case of freely bring and freely receive. No one was competing against the other. However, the perception of some members of the congregation was wrong.

Ananias and Sapphira in our text of today may have observed when others were bringing what they had how the Apostles would pray for them and how other members who received out of what was shared came back to appreciate them. They were more concerned with the praise of men than the sincerity of heart in giving to God. They sold their land and came to the church with part of the proceeds. They both lied to the Apostles that the amount brought to the church was the full amount of the proceeds.
The act was a sin to God and they both lied before God and the congregation. By withholding part of the proceeds secretly, their offering was not acceptable to God. How different were they from the Pharisees who would pray openly so that men would think of them as righteous? God’s punishment was instant, first Ananias died and then Sapphira at different times.

God is holy and cannot behold iniquity; He searches the intent of the heart and for our offering to be acceptable, we must come with genuine hearts. God is more concerned about the state of our hearts than the outward appearance we put up. In our desire to give to the work of God, let us guard our hearts diligently and ensure we have the right motive. Even when men praise you for your gifts whether material or spiritual, do not share God’s glory; learn to return all the glory to God.

Prayer: My father and my Lord, I thank you for everything, thank you for your blessings upon my life. Whatever I have is from you Lord, help me to give with a humble heart and let my offering be acceptable unto you. Father guard my heart from the accolades of man and let me not fall into the trap of vainglory, Amen