Do you give the best of yourself to God or save what is left over? For instance, when it comes to spending time with the Lord do you bother doing it all or squeeze it in as an afterthought? Do your days get so busy with the 'affairs of this world' that you forget to put the saviour on your schedule too?
Your first fruits can apply to your money as well. When we think of tithing in the Bible we think of money but as mentioned in the first paragraph, tithing and giving back to God is also in the form of the time we give him in our day. If you want to know a friend better you have to make an effort to call them up and set up time to spend with them. Same as God. You do not just read a couple verses and plop into bed. Resting on the word I call it. You will not absorb God's word by using the Bible as a pillow.
When it comes to giving money back to the Lord it sort of shows where your heart is. Matthew 6:21 says "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Do you tithe first then set aside money in savings and then spend or the opposite way around? The Bible talks about we will reap what we sow. Galatians 6:7-9 says "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." 1 Corinthians 16:2 says "On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made." Also in Luke 6:38 it tells us to " 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."
But when you give to the Lord do not do it because you think you have to for God's word tells us that is not the way to give. 2 Corinthians 9:7 tells us "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." Are you a cheerful giver? If not ask God to change your heart in that area. I heard once that in the end of life you could sort of tell where a persons heart was by looking at their check book ledger. Where did they spend their money? What was important in their lives? Where do you spend your money? Do the things you spend it on bring glory to God?
Do you give God time in your day? And are you sharing what he has blessed you with with others? 1 Peter 4:10 says "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." After all it is God who gives the power to get wealth in the first place and we are only stewards of it.Deuteronomy 8:18 says "But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today." Don't hoard your blessings. Give to God and share with others. You will be blessed and a happier person.
Luke 12:17-21 sums it up when talking about the rich farmer and it says "He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”
PRAYER: Lord I want to spend time with you in my day. Forgive me for when I get up and rush into my day not setting aside time alone with you in prayer and Bible study. Likewise Lord I want to be a faithful tither to where I am being fed the word of God. Help me to take care of God's servants you have teaching your word. Also Lord if there is a need and I can meet it help me to have the desire to do so. What I have is from you anyway and help me to never forget that. In Jesus Name. Amen.
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