the expense of tomorrow.
Investing is saving money today for the
benefit of tomorrow.
nations, but you shall not borrow.”
Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse:
for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the
storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith,
saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you
out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke
the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground;
neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of
hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed : for ye shall be a delightsome land,
saith the LORD of hosts.”
so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness. Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap
sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or
under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in
everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, He scattered abroad, He gave to the poor, His righteousness
endures forever. Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the
harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. For the
ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. Because
of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of
your contribution to them and to all, while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9: 5-15 (NAS)
God wants to bless His people, but He can only do that if they are living in His righteous ways, giving cheerfully, and sowing seed into good
soil. We are in the time of the fullness of the blessing that God has for us. We will be reaping all that we have sown. For some, it will be a time
of manifested victory, they will have great joy in the abundant outpouring of the Lord. For others, it will be a time of great sorrow, for they will
be reaping every evil work they have ever done. But, it’s not too late too reap a joyful harvest. If you have sown all the wrong stuff in your
past, repent. Ask God to forgive you for all that you have done. Then turn away from your wrongdoings, do a complete 180 and start walking
in the ways of God. Ask Him to dig up all the negative seed you have sown and cast it as far as the east is to the west. You can join those who
will be reaping a blessing in this time of economic hardship. Don’t put it off. We all know what’s going on in the world today. The value of the
dollar has dropped. Even gold and silver is dropping. The bureaucrats are printing money like its going out of style. Unfortunately, it actually is.
Bailouts, handouts, shoutouts… oh my! We are a nation of borrowers. But, now is not the time to be in debt. “…and you shall lend to many
nations, but you shall not borrow.” Deuteronomy 28:12
And what is debt? D.E.B.T. – Doing Everything But Tithing. Debt is spending
money today for pleasure at the expense of tomorrow. Investing is sowing money today for the benefit of tomorrow. But God says to “Be
sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.” Deuteronomy 14:22 (NIV)
Giving of your tithes and offerings is essential to living a successful life. If you think about it, robbing God of what’s His was the original
disobedience of Adam. God gave him everything, and I mean everything, except one tree. “Don’t eat of it,” God commanded. And what did
Adam do? He took the fruit from his wife and ate. Disobedience. “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we
robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the
storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of
heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he
shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. And all
nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.” Malachi 3: 8-12 (KJV)
When my kids were little, I began teaching them the concept of Kingdom living. They had chore charts with how much they earned,
deductions for such things as leaving the light on or the door open, bonuses for extra good behavior, and a place for not so good behavior. At
the end of each month we would sit down and go over their chart and total up their earnings. Afterward they got to decide how much to save,
spend and give away. This was, of course, after deducting the tithe. I explained to them why we tithe: “We tithe because the first ten percent
belongs to God. We get to keep the other 90%. If we rob God of what is His, then the enemy can steal what is ours. But, when we delight to
give God His 10%, then He can to protect what’s ours and even multiply and bless it.” These charts not only taught them simple principles of
earning money and how to spend it, but also the importance of tithing.
I know we live in this world, but, as people of God, we are not of this world. And we don’t have to live by this world’s way of doing things.
God’s ways are quite the opposite of the system we are in. It’s give, not take or borrow, and it will be given to you. Offer the other cheek, not
seek revenge. Love your enemies… Get the picture.
If you’re not sure what to do, where to go, how to live according to the Word, then all you have to do is read His Word. I like what my
daughter says about the Bible: B.I.B.L.E- Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth. God didn’t just make us, put us on this earth and leave us to
fend for ourselves. He gave us a manual. Make the decision today to do things God’s way, not your own, and certainly not the world’s way.
He will make your paths straight. His Word is a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path. Psalm 119:105
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produce each year.”