20 Bible Verses about Thrift

See, I am now for the third time prepared to visit you, but I will not be a dead weight to you. I desire not your money, but yourselves; for children ought not to put by for their parents, but parents for their children.

On the first day of every week let each of you put on one side and store up at his home whatever gain has been granted to him; so that whenever I come, there may then be no collections going on.

He who has been a thief must steal no more, but, instead of that, should work with his own hands in honest industry, so that he may have something of which he can give the needy a share.

When all were fully satisfied, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the broken portions that remain over, so that nothing be lost." Accordingly they gathered them up; and with the fragments of the five barley loaves--the broken portions that remained over after they had done eating--they filled twelve baskets.

Then said Judas (the Iscariot, one of the Twelve--the one who afterwards betrayed Jesus) "Why was not that perfume sold for 300 shillings and the money given to the poor?" The reason he said this was not that he cared for the poor, but that he was a thief, and that being in charge of the money-box, he used to steal what was put into it.

"Why such waste?" indignantly exclaimed the disciples; "for this might have been sold for a considerable sum, and the money given to the poor."

But there were some who said indignantly among themselves, "Why has the ointment been thus wasted? For that ointment might have been sold for fifteen pounds or more, and the money have been given to the poor." And they were exceedingly angry with her.

But do not forget that he who sows with a niggardly hand will also reap a niggardly crop, and that he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

And to the people He said, "Take care, be on your guard against all covetousness, for no one's life consists in the superabundance of his possessions."

And He spoke a parable to them. "A certain rich man's lands," He said, "yielded abundant crops, and he debated within himself, saying, "'What am I to do? for I have no place in which to store my crops.' "And he said to himself, "'This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and in them I will store up all my harvest and my wealth;read more.
and I will say to my life, "'Life, you have ample possessions laid up for many years to come: take your ease, eat, drink, enjoy yourself.' "But God said to him, "'Foolish man, this night your life is demanded from you; and these preparations--for whom shall they be?' "So is it with him who amasses treasure for himself, but has no riches in God."

Then turning to His disciples He said, "For this reason I say to you, 'Dismiss all anxious care for your lives, inquiring what you are to eat, and for your bodies, what you are to put on.' For life is a greater gift than food, and the body is a greater gift than clothing. Observe the ravens. They neither sow nor reap, and have neither store-chamber nor barn. And yet God feeds them. How far more precious are you than the birds!read more.
And which of you is able by anxious thought to add a moment to his life? If then you are unable to do even a very little thing, why be over-anxious about other matters? Observe the lilies, how they grow. They neither labour nor spin. And yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was as beautifully dressed as one of these. But if God so clothes the vegetation in the fields, that blooms to-day and to-morrow will be thrown into the oven, how much more certainly will He clothe you, you men of feeble faith! "Therefore, do not be asking what you are to eat nor what you are to drink; and do not waver between hope and fear. For though the nations of the world pursue these things, as for you, your Father knows that you need them. But make His Kingdom the object of your pursuit, and these things shall be given you in addition.

For this reason I charge you not to be over-anxious about your lives, inquiring what you are to eat or what you are to drink, nor yet about your bodies, inquiring what clothes you are to put on. Is not the life more precious than its food, and the body than its clothing? Look at the birds which fly in the air: they do not sow or reap or store up in barns, but your Heavenly Father feeds them: are not you of much greater value than they? Which of you by being over-anxious can add a single foot to his height?read more.
And why be anxious about clothing? Learn a lesson from the wild lilies. Watch their growth. They neither toil nor spin, and yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his magnificence could array himself like one of these. And if God so clothes the wild herbage which to-day flourishes and to-morrow is thrown into the oven, is it not much more certain that He will clothe you, you men of little faith? Do not be over-anxious, therefore, asking 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For all these are questions that Gentiles are always asking; but your Heavenly Father knows that you need these things--all of them. But make His Kingdom and righteousness your chief aim, and then these things shall all be given you in addition. Do not be over-anxious, therefore, about to-morrow, for to-morrow will bring its own cares. Enough for each day are its own troubles.

No long time afterwards the younger son got all together and travelled to a distant country, where he wasted his money in debauchery and excess.

He said also to His disciples: "There was a rich man who had a steward, about whom a report was brought to him, that he was wasting his property.

"Do not lay up stores of wealth for yourselves on earth, where the moth and wear-and-tear destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But amass wealth for yourselves in Heaven, where neither the moth nor wear-and-tear destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your wealth is, there also will your heart be.

Therefore be very careful how you live and act. Let it not be as unwise men, but as wise. Buy up your opportunities, for these are evil times.

storing up for themselves that which shall be a solid foundation for the future, that they may lay hold of the Life which is life indeed.

The fact is that in the stubbornness of your impenitent heart you are treasuring up against yourself anger on the day of Anger--the day when the righteousness of God's judgements will stand revealed. To each man He will make an award corresponding to his actions;

to those on the one hand who, by lives of persistent right-doing, are striving for glory, honour and immortality, the Life of the Ages; while on the other hand upon the self-willed who disobey the truth and obey unrighteousness will fall anger and fury, affliction and awful distress, coming upon the soul of every man and woman who deliberately does wrong--upon the Jew first, and then upon the Gentile;read more.
whereas glory, honour and peace will be given to every one who does what is good and right--to the Jew first and then to the Gentile.

Give back to her as she has given; repay her in accordance with her doings, twice as much; in the bowl that she has mixed, mix twice as much for her. She has freely glorified herself and revelled in luxury; equally freely administer torment to her, and woe. For in her heart she boasts, saying, 'I sit enthroned as Queen: no widow am I: I shall never know sorrow.'