"A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men" (Prov. 18:16).

Did you know that you can make room for yourself?

I want you to notice my golden text: "A man's gift maketh room for him, AND bringeth him before great men" (Prov. 18:16). The word "and" means also, so this verse is saying two things. Number one, it's saying that your gift will make room for you. And, number two, it's saying that you'll be brought before great men because of your gift.

So we see that two things happen because of the gift. But I want you to notice, first of all, that the gift maketh. "Maketh" simply means causes, implying that there's an action taking place.

Often I've heard people quote this verse and say it means something that it doesn't really mean. I've even heard preachers wrongly teach this verse. You see, most people talk about this verse in regard to talent.

Essentially, what they say is that if you're talented or have some gift or anointing, then eventually your place will be made for you, and people of great means will get to hear you or partake of your gift.

But that isn't what this verse is talking about at all! In fact, when you look this scripture up in the original Hebrew, you'll find out several things.

First of all, you'll discover that the writer is referring to financial things. In fact, when you look it up, you will find that in the Middle East - and the Bible is an Eastern book - it was customary for a man to bring a gift to an individual in order to be heard by that individual.

You had to present a gift before anyone would even discuss business with you.

Of course, we don't have that tradition here in the West, but the Bible says that a man's gift makes room for him, and we, no matter where we are, have to understand what that means, because it's a Bible truth.

The Hebrew word translated "gift" in Prov. 18:16 means a present. And the word "room" means to broaden. So, in other words, we could read that verse like this: "A man's present will broaden, cause expansion, or create opportunity for him. And, on top of all that, a man's present will bring him before great men."

I like the way the New International Version translates Prov. 18:16. It may make it easier to understand the meaning of the verse: A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great. (Prov. 18:16. NIV).

There is something else I want you to see concerning the value of a gift. Prov. 17:8 says, "A gift is as a PRECIOUS STONE in the eyes of him that hath it. Whithersoever it turneth, it PROSPERETH." This scripture says that a gift is as a precious stone.

You need to understand that a gift is of value and that a gift makes room for you. In other words, a gift will open doors of opportunity for you.

God Gave First
The idea of a gift making room for yourself is not something new. God was the very first One to act upon this law. The Bible says, "For God so loved the world, that he GAVE..." (John 3:16). And throughout Scripture we see what the preeminent gift of God is: salvation through Jesus Christ!

For God so loved the world, that he gave HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life - JOHN 3:16.

We said that a gift can create opportunity. Because God gave to mankind, His gift created the opportunity for Him to have more than an "only begotten Son." You see, Jesus used to be referred to as the only begotten Son of God. But now the Scripture describes Jesus as "...the FIRSTBORN among many brethren" - (Rom. 8:29).

The word "begotten" means born of. Because I received Jesus as my Savior, I'm born of God - I'm a son of god. And you're a son of God, too if you are born again. You are as much a son of God as Jesus the Anointed One is. The Bible describes Jesus as being your Elder Brother.

In fact, the Bible even calls us, the Church, "His body" because it says that Jesus is the Head of the Church, which is His Body (Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:23). The Church is the Body of Christ. And Jesus is the Head of His Body, the Church.

Well, if the head is one place, then the body must be there with the head, because the head can't be in one place and the body in another. Rather, where the head goes, the feet go, the arms to, the nose goes, and everything else goes! Spiritually speaking, Jesus is the Head, and we're His Body. The Head gives the instructions, and the Body follows.

So God gave the gift of Jesus to us. That gift opened our heart to God, and it created the opportunity for Him to receive billions of sons. And if we're doing our job of witnessing to the lost, then He's getting more sons every day. Why is this happening? Because a gift maketh room! It opens windows of opportunity!

Source: Making Room For Yourself By Keith A. Butler
Excerpt permission granted by Word Of Faith Publishing