I read the comment from the 40 day Journey "..everything we have truly belongs to Him. When we give to God, we are just taking our hands off what already belongs to Him." I thought about why I get so fussy about "my stuff". And, if I lose something, I get even "fussier". But if it all belongs to God, then really, maybe, it was just re-allocated...like moved from one place to another and he still owns it. I am just no longer stewarding it. Hmmm. I realize that in some way, God entrusts what he has to be stewarded by faithful people. Those who are faithful, he entrusts more. Where am I going with this? Well...tell you in 40 days.
Day Two: "Give to God what's right-not what's left."
When I was a youth pastor many decades ago...hm hm hm...people would drop off their used couches. Couches with holes in it, tears, mice, etc. They upgraded and needed to get rid of their old couch. First, the youth group needed couches. And, we didn't have money to buy them. So, we were blessed and I was grateful. But I could not help but think at times I wish I could have nicer couches for the kids to sit in...couches without springs poking them or mice droppings. I think of those couches when I consider what it means to give God what's left. To me giving God what is left means giving him what we think we don't need.
Day Three: "People go through 3 conversions: The conversion of their head, their heart, and their pocketbook. Unfortunatelyl, not all at the same time."
The question posed in the Journey was: "Have I gone through all three conversions yet?" For me, yes. But it was a process God took me through teaching me to trust and challenging me. Still, God calls me to trust in this current economy and as we see our household income decrease yet our monthly bills increase.
Day Four: the Lord watches your giving Truly, God watches everything we do. All the good we do He will reward and all the evil we do He will discipline. I can look at a bank statement at the end of the month and see what matters to me. As I review my bank statement, there sure are alot of things on here that reflect on my stewardship - both ways.
Day five: Don't become prideful about anything God has entrusted to you. Proverbs 16 says that its better to be poor and humble than rich and proud. I understand why...because pride comes before a fall. I have met very few people who are wealthy and humble. But to be wealthy and remain humble requires one to know that it was the Lord that gave them the ability to produce wealth.
Day six: Even the poor are to give to God from what they have. I once put my whole check in the offering plate. I was kind of scared realizing that I now had no money to pay my bills. I didn't fing a bag of gold later that God hid under my pillow nor did I end up in debtor's prison...but I did learn how much more trust it requires to give our of our poverty than out of our abundance.
Day Seven - tithe 10% the most impacting statement for me in this devotional is the verse from Deut. 14:23..."the purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives." When I undertand tithing to be more about putting God first in my life than just giving money to the church, I have a higher sense of satisfaction in giving as it provided for me a tangible way to put God first.
Day 8 - Don't trust in riches but trust in God. I was stunned to read that if I make more than 1500 a YEAR then I a richer than 75% of the worlds population. So, I went to the website globalrichlist.com to see where I compare. I typed in my annual income, the income that I feel is insufficient to meet my needs, and find out I am in the top 7.6% of the world's incomes. While I do not feel rich compared to Americans, I am humbled that my meager income makes me wealthier that most of the worlds families. And I realize I have an even GREATER stewardship responsibility to help out in places devastated by poverty..to whom much is given much is required. I also read Ps 49..."for no one can pay enough to live forever and never see the grave." But, I can send it ahead of me in the form of eternal rewards that will not rust or be corrupted!
Day 9 - Understand riches can deceive you Listening to the federal budget discussions, I couldn't help but chuckle and then grimmace at reading Ecc. 5:11 - "the more you have, the more you spend, right up to the limits of your income. So, what is the advantage of your wealth, except to watch it as it runs through your fingers." Geez...billions running through the fingers of our federal government.
I read the comment from the 40 day Journey "..everything we have truly belongs to Him. When we give to God, we are just taking our hands off what already belongs to Him." I thought about why I get so fussy about "my stuff". And, if I lose something, I get even "fussier". But if it all belongs to God, then really, maybe, it was just re-allocated...like moved from one place to another and he still owns it. I am just no longer stewarding it. Hmmm. I realize that in some way, God entrusts what he has to be stewarded by faithful people. Those who are faithful, he entrusts more. Where am I going with this? Well...tell you in 40 days.
ReplyDeleteDay Two: "Give to God what's right-not what's left."
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a youth pastor many decades ago...hm hm hm...people would drop off their used couches. Couches with holes in it, tears, mice, etc. They upgraded and needed to get rid of their old couch. First, the youth group needed couches. And, we didn't have money to buy them. So, we were blessed and I was grateful. But I could not help but think at times I wish I could have nicer couches for the kids to sit in...couches without springs poking them or mice droppings. I think of those couches when I consider what it means to give God what's left. To me giving God what is left means giving him what we think we don't need.
Day Three: "People go through 3 conversions: The conversion of their head, their heart, and their pocketbook. Unfortunatelyl, not all at the same time."
ReplyDeleteThe question posed in the Journey was: "Have I gone through all three conversions yet?" For me, yes. But it was a process God took me through teaching me to trust and challenging me. Still, God calls me to trust in this current economy and as we see our household income decrease yet our monthly bills increase.
Day Four: the Lord watches your giving
ReplyDeleteTruly, God watches everything we do. All the good we do He will reward and all the evil we do He will discipline. I can look at a bank statement at the end of the month and see what matters to me. As I review my bank statement, there sure are alot of things on here that reflect on my stewardship - both ways.
Day five: Don't become prideful about anything God has entrusted to you.
ReplyDeleteProverbs 16 says that its better to be poor and humble than rich and proud. I understand why...because pride comes before a fall. I have met very few people who are wealthy and humble. But to be wealthy and remain humble requires one to know that it was the Lord that gave them the ability to produce wealth.
Day six: Even the poor are to give to God from what they have.
ReplyDeleteI once put my whole check in the offering plate. I was kind of scared realizing that I now had no money to pay my bills. I didn't fing a bag of gold later that God hid under my pillow nor did I end up in debtor's prison...but I did learn how much more trust it requires to give our of our poverty than out of our abundance.
Day Seven - tithe 10%
ReplyDeletethe most impacting statement for me in this devotional is the verse from Deut. 14:23..."the purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives." When I undertand tithing to be more about putting God first in my life than just giving money to the church, I have a higher sense of satisfaction in giving as it provided for me a tangible way to put God first.
Day 8 - Don't trust in riches but trust in God.
ReplyDeleteI was stunned to read that if I make more than 1500 a YEAR then I a richer than 75% of the worlds population. So, I went to the website globalrichlist.com to see where I compare. I typed in my annual income, the income that I feel is insufficient to meet my needs, and find out I am in the top 7.6% of the world's incomes. While I do not feel rich compared to Americans, I am humbled that my meager income makes me wealthier that most of the worlds families. And I realize I have an even GREATER stewardship responsibility to help out in places devastated by poverty..to whom much is given much is required.
I also read Ps 49..."for no one can pay enough to live forever and never see the grave." But, I can send it ahead of me in the form of eternal rewards that will not rust or be corrupted!
Day 9 - Understand riches can deceive you
ReplyDeleteListening to the federal budget discussions, I couldn't help but chuckle and then grimmace at reading Ecc. 5:11 - "the more you have, the more you spend, right up to the limits of your income. So, what is the advantage of your wealth, except to watch it as it runs through your fingers." Geez...billions running through the fingers of our federal government.