Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Giving


Day 4 



Giving

$3,600.00.  That’s how much money I made my first year of practicing law.  Claudia was home with an infant, so that was our family income.  We tithed.  We couldn’t afford to tithe, but we believed that we couldn’t afford not to.   From a human perspective, it made no sense, and we could easily have rationalized keeping the money.  We needed it (or thought we did).  Tithing was a step in faith, a surrender of what we could see (our limited income) for what we couldn’t (God’s faithfulness) God was faithful, and continues to be faithful, through good financial times and through tough ones.  He is Almighty God, always faithful, always caring, always providing, always with your best interests at heart.  He is worthy of your trust and your surrender.  When I think of giving, I automatically think of tithing.  To me, the two concepts are inseparable.  I have yet to meet a person who tithed, and who later told me it was a bad idea.  I have yet to meet a person who tithed, and who later told me God hadn’t been faithful.  Instead, every tither I talk with would never consider not tithing.  Every tither has stories of God’s faithfulness, God’s provision, God’s love exhibited as a result of the tither’s surrender and obedience.  Either there are a lot of people making up phony stories about God’s provision, or God’s reward for obedience is real. 

 

      People’s stories of the wonderful results of tithing can be inspiring and motivational, but here’s something really inspiring and motivational:  

38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”                                                            Luke 6:38
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.  2 Corinthians 9:6-8
“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’“In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me.10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.       Malachi 3:8-10
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.                Matthew 6:33

     Either these verses are true, or they are not. 
     If they are not true, then keep your money.   


How has this devotional challenged your thinking on giving?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


How is giving an issue of loving the Lord with all your soul?   ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Prayer: Reflecting specifically on this devotional, write out a prayer to God. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




No comments:

Post a Comment