Sometimes the troubles are so great that we wonder if we will survive them. We believers in Jesus Christ also need to know that we have an enemy, the devil, who goes around like a roaring lion trying to stir up trouble for us and trip us up. Thankfully, we believers have the Holy Spirit of God dwelling within us. The One dwelling within us is greater than the one that is in this world.
The Lord will see us through those difficult times. He will help us in our times of need. The Holy Spirit will encourage us and strengthen us even when the enemy attacks. The devil uses his same old tricks and lies that he has been using for a very long time. Unfortunately they are very effective so we need to be on our guard.
The most effective place the enemy loves to attack us is in our finances. If he can convince us that money is more important than obeying God then he has succeeded in making us place our faith in money rather than in the Lord. May it be never said of a child of the Living God who has cattle on a thousand hilltops. The Lord is our provider not we ourselves. When we fail to believe God's promises that He spells out for us in His Word then we run into trouble.
Malachi 3:8-12 says,
8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings.
9 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.
11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the LORD Almighty.
12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.
When we fail to give our tithe and offering unto the Lord we are actually robbing Him and showing a total lack of faith in Him. God is not mocked. He knows our hearts and our motives. He knows our very intentions. Jesus tells us in Scripture that where your heart is that is where your treasure is. If we are trusting in the Lord in every area of our lives then we will be willing to make a sacrifice by giving the Lord out of the first fruits of what He has giving to us.
Our tithe and offering are important for the Lord uses them to proclaim the Gospel message of Jesus Christ to those people all around the world who need to hear the life changing message of Jesus Christ. When we approach God with our tithe and offering we shouldn't do it begrudgingly. We should do it cheerfully for we are entrusting the Lord with our money to expand the Kingdom of God by supporting the ministry of our local church bodies and ultimately the entire body of Christ as a whole.
What an honor and privilege the Lord has blessed us with by allowing us to take part in His work here on the earth through our faithfulness in giving. God tells us to test Him in this one thing and He will pour out a great blessing upon us. We can't out give God.
May we honor the Lord by giving our tithe to our local church and may we do it for the Lord Jesus Christ and the bringing more people into a life changing relationship with Jesus.
Lord,
We praise You.
Thank You for all that You bless us with.
Help us to be a cheerful giver.
Help us to tithe to our local Church body to be faithful to Your Word.
We thank You for all that You have done for us and are doing in us through Your Holy Spirit.
Help us to be faithful to You.
May Your will be done.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
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