"Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine." Proverbs 3:9-10. 

God bless you. We give all the glory to God for the opportunity to deliberate on this topic.  

In this article, we will present a number of general principles, among others:

• The stewardship of resources including money.
• The finance organization (budget)
• Fidelity to God in time of crisis.
• God’s fidelity which is not in crisis.

The stewardship of resources including money.

"Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." 1 Corinthians 4:2.

Despite the times of crisis or scarcity, God is calling us to be faithful stewards of what God has placed in our hands.

God knows the periods of adversity, economic or pandemics. He knows everything that is going on in our world. He also knows what is to come.

Above all else, the Church of Jesus Christ belongs to the kingdom of heaven. God cares about how the adverse circumstances affect the lives of His children. These circumstances can sometimes be intense and painful, but there is no need for them to overwhelm us or steal our peace. God knows what we need and wants us to depend in Him and his provision every day.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:31-33:

"Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” 

Crises can provide opportunities for the people of God to flourish spiritually and lead others to Christ, who is our only rock and hope, not only in the present time, but for all eternity. 

• Look to God, instead of your need or lack of resources.

Our response to the difficult times will be determined by our perspective and where our focus is. In the midst of our needs, we pray to God so that He supplies our needs and we can become witnesses to the people around us, that we have a God who helps us in the crisis, gives us a response to our pressure and supplies us.

• Ask God for your needs and thank him for the provisions that are to come.

• Be faithful with your tithes and offerings

Ask God for provision, wisdom, guidance and grace to persevere and to manage what we have and to depend on God even in scarcity.

Have you prayed about it? Are you asking God to provide your "daily bread" and to show you what steps he wants you to take?

In Philippians 4:6-7, God tells us: "In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.”

God is still the God of Provision. 

When the disciples had not caught any fish, Jesus said to Simon: “And when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answered and said, Master, we toiled all night, and took nothing: but at thy word I will let down the nets. And when they had done this, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes; and their nets were breaking;” (Luke 5:4-6).

When the widow had only a handful of flour in the jar, and a little oil in the vessel; (1 Kings 17:12), God made provision and in the years of scarcity, she never lacked.

When the widow did not have resources to pay her debts, God gave her the means to have enough oil to sell and be able to pay her debts and live with what was left over. (2 Kings 4).

If we are faithful to God with our tithes and offerings and even more in times of crisis, we show God our fidelity to Him. God will not fail to open the windows of heaven to pour out His blessings upon us until they overflow.

It is believing in God, that He is going to do and confess his Word, though we do not see it: "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19).

• Present God the church and the lives that do not know Christ

Ask God to use this time of confusion and uncertainty to bring revival and spiritual awakening to our lives, our churches, our country and the world. (Habakkuk 3:2).

• Learn the secret of contentment.

The contentment comes from believing that God has provided everything we need for the present moment and that He will provide everything you need in the future (Psalms 73:25-26; Philippians 4:11-13; 1 Timothy 6:6-8).

Take the discontent out of your words or from your heart. Are you murmuring, or complaining, being anxious, expressing that what God has provided is not sufficient to meet your needs?

• Ask God to fulfill His purposes.

God is putting us through some processes so that we learn to believe Him amidst the trials and scarcity. To not depend on man but only in Him.

God uses adversity to show us what is in our hearts, to take out those things that God does not like in us, and to deepen our dependence of Him. Times of scarcity can become times of great blessings, because people bare their soul and their hearts turn to the Lord (Deuteronomy 8:3).

Are you more focused on the satisfaction of your own needs and solving your own problems than in seeing God's purposes be fulfilled in your life, in those around you, and those who do not know Christ? 

• Allow God to reorganize your priorities

In those times of economic difficulties or losses we have to identify any tendencies to accumulate "things" we do not need, and make us take measures to develop a more moderate lifestyle (Luke 12:15, 31, 34).

You need to redefine what are your "needs"? You need to make some adjustments in your expenses, in order to be able to live according to your possibilities and/or give more to meet the needs of others? 

We have to ask God for strategies to cope with economic crisis. Ask God for wisdom to organize the finances and to have a budget with what little you may have. When establishing a budget, we must set a priority in what are major expenditures and eliminate or postpone others.

It is very important is to adjust the budget and do not use credit cards for basic needs. If there is no possibility of payment, do not use the credit card, only in cases of extreme emergency.

We should analyze every project that is undertaken in order to see if we have the resources. Jesus gave us example in Luke 14:28.

Pastors must speak to the church that no matter the scarcity or crisis, never cease to be faithful to the Lord with our tithes. Upon that faith depends whether we see God moving
His hand on our behalf.

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Hebrews 13:5- 6.

In the church, pastors must define the priorities for expenditure; and have a budget in place in order to help those who are going through a need.

In the crisis, the pastors with their church may devise activities to generate funds. 

• Put your trust in the Lord.

You can rely in Him. He loves you, He knows what you are facing, and takes care of you. God is on His throne and His purposes are being achieved in your life and in the world. Trust in Him to have your needs fulfilled, He will provide. 

• Remember what God has done in the past (Deuteronomy 8:2).
• Trust His Character (Psalms 36:5, 7).
• Remembers His promises (Joshua 23:14).
• Refuse to surrender to fear or anxiety (Psalms 46:1-3; Isaiah 54:10).
• Avoid taking matters into your own hands. Do not let that fear lead you to those places that God does not want you to go (Genesis 12:10; Ruth 1:1).

Practice giving as Christ did.

The natural tendency in times of financial uncertainty is to retain what we have and give less. But what a great opportunity to demonstrate the greatness and power of God with
Our offerings! Ask God how you can exercise your faith and reflect His generous heart in your giving at this time (2 Corinthians 8:1-4; 9:8).

Does your way of giving reflects the generous giving heart of Christ? How does God want you to grow in grace by giving during this time of crisis?

Rejoice in the Lord.

Regardless of what is going on in the world or in your personal financial situation, do not let the enemy rob you of your joyfulness! If you have Him, we are rich, we have everything we need, and we have reasons to rejoice! (Habakkuk 3:17-18).

"And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,” Luke 17:12- 15.

The simplest definition of Crisis is this: "a difficult situation of a person or thing".

We do not find this term in the Bible, but we do see in the biblical text difficult moments lived by different characters. The most logical reaction before a crisis is to drown in negative feelings. Our mind wanders in a misty sea of doubts, fears and questions.

But there must be a massive difference between those who have their "eyes on Jesus", and those who do not know him. For those who have "built upon the Rock " the Lord says that: "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man,…". This means that crises can strengthen our spiritual muscles, contribute to our growth and lead us to make decisions that were unthinkable.

Crises are opportunities that life gives us to bring out the capacities and resources which we have accumulated through reading, studying, meditating and keeping the word of God.

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge... " Hosea 4:6.

Definitely, the crisis helps us know how to position ourselves in front of our own and others, and realize what is our relationship with God. In moments of crisis, the strengths and weaknesses of the human being emerge.

Today we have a countless number of recipes, opinions, new revelations (we believe that God speaks throughout time), but it is important to know that: "And we have the word of prophecy made more sure..." (2 Peter 1:19).

In these days there have been so many of these recipes, opinions and revelations, that the people have arrived at superstition, including biblically controversial “visions” and home remedies, that by doing them you would receive healing.

Others do not believe in the reality of the pandemic, nor fear it, because they are protected. It is true that "God is our refuge and strength...", but "whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s...".

The instructions that we find in the Old Testament given by the Lord, we think that just met as rules for spiritual cleansing, but we find in the Scriptures that God also cared for the physical health of His people, that is why we find a public health ordinance that today, many villages are still taking into account. Deuteronomy 23:13, tells us: "And you shall have a paddle or shovel among your weapons, and when you sit down outside [to relieve yourself], you shall dig a hole with it and turn back and cover up what has come from you."

The portion of the Bible, with which we began this brief study, shows us a situation that goes back to Leviticus chapter 13, because it corresponded to the priests to certify, after complying with certain protocolary measures.

hose who have skin conditions should be presented to the priest, who had the authority to determine if the condition was or not leprosy. First, he had to examine the patient and if he showed symptoms of the disease, the person would be locked up for 7 days (quarantine), at the end of the period of confinement the priest would conduct a rigorous examination, if he still could not determine if there was a disease or not, he would lock up the person for another period, and at the end of this period, he again would examine him, if the plague had spread, he was declared unclean and therefore expelled from the community for the purpose that he would not contaminate another.

It is for this reason that the Lord, upon hearing the loud cry of the ten lepers, who kept their "social distance", as demanded by law, 100 feet of separation, which Christ did not violate, but ordered the 10 lepers to present themselves to the priest who was the person who had the authority to declare a leper healed.

In other words, we are not exempt from fulfilling our responsibility of observing the provisions of the competent bodies. Publio Terencio Africano said "I am man, nothing human is alien to me...".

It is up to us Christians to continue to understand that in times of crisis: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help?” (Psalms 121:1). Our confidence is placed in the Lord and we will continue to stand firm on the principles of God's Word.