Monday's Blessing
1 Corinthians 2:14
"But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him.....”
Do you tithe 10% of your weekly earnings?
This is a tough and deliberate question. One that we often makeshift admirable claims that we "try". But God states:
Make an offering of ten percent, a tithe, of all the produce which grows in your fields year after year. Bring this into the Presence of God, your God, at the place he designates for worship (Deuteronomy 14: 22-23)
Many of us don't. I, for one, am consistently wrestling with the idea. Each week, year, I give more and more hoping to attain this requirement, but I often fall short because I feel my bills won't be met each month. So, yes, I am included in the masses of doubters. I'm sad to add.
Recently I had a conversation with my physical therapist. We got onto the topic of tithing. "You tithe 10%? Always? All earnings?" I asked.
With out a moment's hesitation she added, "Yes, of course, that includes my husband's salary."
"Wow," was all I could reply. I was in awe.
"Yes, and let me tell you this, we always get it back in multitudes, because that is one verse in the Bible God asks you to test him on."
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 (Malachi 3:10).
My mind reverted quickly back to the last Sunday I took Mom to church. She dropped $20 in the basket. She is on a limited income of SSI. That is 10%. I felt ashamed. Here I was draining every last penny I could get out of my income and not apply it as the Bible stated.
It is difficult to explain God's principal's on sowing and reaping to you, because I don't understand it myself. This is an example of a natural man not understanding the spiritual man. First Corinthians 2:14 explains that the natural man cannot understand spiritual things, because they must be spiritually discerned to do so. This simply means that spiritual things take place in the born-again spirit of the inner man, not in the natural mind.
This is the reason people who depend on their intellect have a difficult time believing in God. They don't see Him, they don't feel Him, and many of His principles don't make sense to their natural minds. Naturally speaking, what sense does it make to tell people that they will have increase if they give away some of their money? It makes no sense at all.
The Bible says that the first will be last, and the last will be first. That makes no sense either. But I know in my spiritual understanding that it means when we try to push ourselves forward into the first place, we will end up the last. When we wait on God to promote us, even if we start our last, we will end up right where we are supposed to be.
So how much do you make a week? Are you paid bi-weekly, weekly, or semi-monthly? How much is 10% of that? Yep, go grab a calculator to cement this thought in your head.
"But what about if you don't make it to church?" I quietly asked her.
"There is a button on our church website to pay your weekly tithes," she explained.
"Wow," again was my answer. "Yes, this is a tough one to accept."
his Week's Meditation:
Teach me to "tithe 10%."
Pray:
Help me to meditate: on the Bible phrases that tell me so.
Teach me to be patient and know you promise to bless me financially when I do.
Remind me that I need your help.
Meditate on this for several minutes a day. Allow various thoughts to come into your mind. And realize God has you in his arms always. If your mind is jumbled lately, try Headspace for FREE. It's a great app to find health and happiness.
1 Corinthians 2:14
"But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him.....”
Do you tithe 10% of your weekly earnings?
This is a tough and deliberate question. One that we often makeshift admirable claims that we "try". But God states:
Make an offering of ten percent, a tithe, of all the produce which grows in your fields year after year. Bring this into the Presence of God, your God, at the place he designates for worship (Deuteronomy 14: 22-23)
Many of us don't. I, for one, am consistently wrestling with the idea. Each week, year, I give more and more hoping to attain this requirement, but I often fall short because I feel my bills won't be met each month. So, yes, I am included in the masses of doubters. I'm sad to add.
Recently I had a conversation with my physical therapist. We got onto the topic of tithing. "You tithe 10%? Always? All earnings?" I asked.
With out a moment's hesitation she added, "Yes, of course, that includes my husband's salary."
"Wow," was all I could reply. I was in awe.
"Yes, and let me tell you this, we always get it back in multitudes, because that is one verse in the Bible God asks you to test him on."
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 (Malachi 3:10).
My mind reverted quickly back to the last Sunday I took Mom to church. She dropped $20 in the basket. She is on a limited income of SSI. That is 10%. I felt ashamed. Here I was draining every last penny I could get out of my income and not apply it as the Bible stated.
It is difficult to explain God's principal's on sowing and reaping to you, because I don't understand it myself. This is an example of a natural man not understanding the spiritual man. First Corinthians 2:14 explains that the natural man cannot understand spiritual things, because they must be spiritually discerned to do so. This simply means that spiritual things take place in the born-again spirit of the inner man, not in the natural mind.
This is the reason people who depend on their intellect have a difficult time believing in God. They don't see Him, they don't feel Him, and many of His principles don't make sense to their natural minds. Naturally speaking, what sense does it make to tell people that they will have increase if they give away some of their money? It makes no sense at all.
The Bible says that the first will be last, and the last will be first. That makes no sense either. But I know in my spiritual understanding that it means when we try to push ourselves forward into the first place, we will end up the last. When we wait on God to promote us, even if we start our last, we will end up right where we are supposed to be.
So how much do you make a week? Are you paid bi-weekly, weekly, or semi-monthly? How much is 10% of that? Yep, go grab a calculator to cement this thought in your head.
"But what about if you don't make it to church?" I quietly asked her.
"There is a button on our church website to pay your weekly tithes," she explained.
"Wow," again was my answer. "Yes, this is a tough one to accept."
his Week's Meditation:
Teach me to "tithe 10%."
Pray:
Help me to meditate: on the Bible phrases that tell me so.
Teach me to be patient and know you promise to bless me financially when I do.
Remind me that I need your help.
Meditate on this for several minutes a day. Allow various thoughts to come into your mind. And realize God has you in his arms always. If your mind is jumbled lately, try Headspace for FREE. It's a great app to find health and happiness.
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