Remember as a kid finding loose change, or making a buck with the paper route, cutting some lawns, babysitting, or doing extra chores? Anyone have a piggy bank? I remember the principle of saving, but it was always with a goal in mind. Maybe I was saving to be able to buy any toy I wanted. Maybe I was saving to have money to go on the next school field trip.....but as well as I could've been saving for things....I begin to see no value in that, and rather defaulted to the risk of carrying it on my person, you know in my pocket. Now in my pocket, I was armed and dangerous with a dollar or more....especially at the corner store. I also remember times of losing that same money simply by being a careless kid, and being haunted by the words of my mother " put it in the bank, or in drawer, or let me hold it so you won't lose it....." meanwhile kicking myself for not listening.
Moses had been with the Lord, and the Lord instructed him to communicate to the people that He desired that they would bring tithe, a tenth of what He's blessed them to be able to produce to the place of worship. The purpose in this was two fold, it was to be a storehouse for those that came in need, as well as it spoke to the devotion to GOD, of the person bringing to God. Whether you bring/give to GOD says a lot about your relationship with Him. If you give Him your first, then that communicates His priority in your life.....you give special attention to the things that mean the most in your life.....that's the way we are wired. If you care about your car...you take it to the car wash, or you detail it yourself. If you care about yourself you spend countless dollars and time doing things that make you feel & look good. If you care about God, you are constantly listening to His direction and pouring yourself out for his name sake.
The truth is.....when we do finances on our own, I don't care who you are, or how much you make...you are no different than me as a little boy with his money in his pocket, going outside to play. You will be more likely to spend it frivolously, invest it foolishly, or lose it accidentally......but when you involve God in your finances......He protects you from really the worse case scenario....because He is the best insurance policy for your financial future. I'm reminded of a few scriptures that have been proven time and time again in my life:Proverbs 37:25 Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.
Malachi 3:10-12 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! 11 Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 12 “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
If you know me....you know me to be blessed....and that's essentially a byproduct of my decision to make Him first......in every area of my life....and while I may stumble in areas.....I've decided to involve GOD in not just my finances....but in every area of my life....even when it comes down to relationships. I pray that you will decide today, to stop trying to handle your finances alone, and trust, TEST GOD to see what He can and will do when you include Him first. May GOD bless you today with more of Him! LGLP
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