IT MAKETH RICH!
Psalm 41:1-3
"Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness."
Proverbs 11:24
"There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth, and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty."
I have witnessed God's principles working in our household as we choose to live generously, trusting God for our every need. The Lord has shown us, time-and-time again that as we allow a continuous flow of our finances, time, and resources to pass through our hands - for His Kingdom purposes - He heals us, delivers us, and provides, not only for our needs, but for most of our wants, as well.
As Christians, our giving should not be a "tithe only" attitude. It should not be a "time only" (in place of the tithe) attitude. We should not have an attitude of being a "resource only" giver. No, our giving should be in TITHES and OFFERINGS. I truly believe that so many people miss out on the abundant provision of God, because of their refusal to give; to give over and above the tithe.
Malachi 3:8-12
"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 meet in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven, and pour 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 the nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be called a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts."
You see, keeping the 10% that is God's portion is a curse. You will live much better on 90% of your income than you could ever expect to live off of a 100%. I know it doesn't seem logical, but God's Kingdom defies man's logic. He is a supernatural God and shows His glory when He does things against the grain of what you can see, taste, feel, hear, or rationalize in your human mind. Tithing 10% of your income is not giving to God, rather, it is "trusting" God. He doesn't need your money. He only desires that you live in faith, trusting Him for your every need. He loves you and "wants" to bless you.
Then, there is the offering. Giving an offering to the Lord should not be a haphazard event. Your offering should be out of an act of obedience that responds to the prompting of the Holy Spirit as He leads you to give to a cause, a need, or an organization. God desires to "speak to your heart" about certain Kingdom needs and then He desires that you are obedient to His wooing. Really, I believe that the offering is what moves the hand of God to bless you "super abundantly." What are you in need of? Would you trust God by stepping out in faith to give, believing that as you do, He will pour out a blessing over and above your need?
Beyond our tithes and offerings, I have noticed something else about God's provision principles. God has shown me that our giving should be in "doing the right thing." Our giving should be in "never taking what is not ours." We should seek out those who are less fortunate than us... and bless them... just because! Yes, God desires for us (you and I) to be faucets that are always "turned on." He doesn't want anything to have a hold on his children... and that includes money, time, and resources. He wants His children FREE INDEED, and the only pathway to becoming totally free is in following the instructions given by the designer of the universe. When God says, "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over...," you can fully trust in this spiritual law. (Luke 6:38)
Remember, God is not limited by a recession or by the "what ifs" of our economy. He is Lord over ALL and He is our only hope in times of trouble. If not for the blessing of the Lord, we would all surely live in fear. But, PRAISE THE LORD... He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of POWER, and of LOVE, and of a SOUND MIND (2 Timothy 1:7). The Christian Spirit - the generous spirit who lives by FAITH - should not worry about the world's economy. Our Daddy - Abba Father - owns it ALL!!! And, He loves to give good gifts to His children... as they are obedient to His Word.
I pray that this Christmas will find YOU in a spirit of giving... giving to the poor, giving to the church, and giving to missions. May you have a blessed (super abundantly blessed) holiday season, knowing that the Lord is faithful!!! He loves you and He cares about the "details" of your life. Trust Him.
Proverbs 22:9
"He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor."
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To read more... click over to the Remnant Women Blog and read the December 9th article entitled Watching God Provide, written by a friend of mine, Andi Raymnd. I think it will really inspire you.
Oh, and if the Lord is speaking to your heart about how you can bless this ministry, click over to Deborah Ross Ministries official web-site to make your donation or to become a partner, now. Thank you for your financial support!
In Christ,
Deborah
Strengthening Families & Encouraging Women
www.DeborahRossMinistries.org
