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Acts 5:1-11
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
Additional Scripture References: Acts 5:42, Acts 2:44-45, Acts 5:5, Ephesians 2:10, Acts 5:11, Proverbs 19:23
You don’t have to be a genius to know that math is logical. It follows a formula – two plus two always equals four. But have you ever noticed that God's math doesn’t always add up? It’s miraculous! With God, five loaves of bread and two fish feed 5,000 people. With God, one puts a thousand to flight but two can put 10,000 to flight. The story of Ananias and Sapphira is a powerful reminder of the seriousness of sin. It's a difficult story, but it highlights an important aspect of divine management: God adds, multiplies, and subtracts, and while it might not make sense in the moment, divine subtraction makes room for divine multiplication.
God removes what we think we need to give us what we actually need
Most of us would agree that we want more good things in our lives. If we aren’t careful, the wrong things can begin to take root. Like weeds in a garden, God removes the people, places, and things that are not meant to be there. It’s in kindness that God, the master gardener, corrects us – when the wrong thing is removed from our lives, it creates space for the right things to grow.
Like a sculptor chipping away parts of a stone block to reveal a beautiful statue, God chips away at parts of our lives to shape us into a masterpiece. Divine subtraction is often a measure of protection, keeping us safe from harm. It’s not the absence of danger that keeps us safe – it’s the presence of God. In Him, we have no fear, instead we can stand in reverence and awe of His glory.
Divine subtraction might be painful but it’s always purposeful. In Zechariah 13:9, God says, "I will refine them like silver and test them like gold." God’s subtraction removes impurities, refining our character, and ultimately making us more valuable. The story of Ananias and Sapphira is a reminder of the seriousness of sin. Their lack of reverence led to their death. When we choose to live in awe of the Lord, we see His power and learn to walk in His ways. Sometimes God will remove what you think you need in order to reveal what you actually need. Trust when God subtracts, He is preparing you for something far better than you could ever imagine.
This week, reflect on something God may be subtracting from your life. Journal a prayer asking Him to help you understand the things, behaviors, or people He needs to remove in order to make space for divine multiplication.
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