Tithing

     I have listened to testimonies from people on The 700 Club who were struggling with so much debt they could see no way out; yet, they decided to tithe.  By placing God first, they began to see changes.  Their lives and their fiances did a turnaround.
     I was reminded of these testimonies as I studied our church Sunday school lesson.  Haggai tells us how God's people were building homes for themselves and neglecting the rebuilding of God's house.  God finally told them to "Think carefully about your ways:  You have planted much but harvested little.  You eat but never have enough to be satisfied.  You drink but never have enough to be happy.  You put on clothes but never have enough to get warm.  The wage earner puts his wages into a bag with a hole."    
     Do you ever feel like that?  Yet, are we willing to place enough faith in God to give Him His fair share of what we earn?  What steps of faith are we willing to take in order to live for God's glory and see fruit being produced in our lives.  God has the ability to blow away all our hard work, and what we have to remember is that it all belongs to Him in the first place.
     We might ask, "Why does God ask for a title?"  I believe Deuteronomy 14:23 provides the answer.  The King James version states, "that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God."  The Living Bible version states it like this, "The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives." 
   

First Fruits

     I have discovered over the years that my husband is not fond of leftovers.  They are the crumbs from yesterday.  It is even more so with God.  He does not like our leftovers.  He does not want the crumbs from yesterday.  He wants the first fruits of  our labor. 
     Why, might you ask, do we need to first set aside our increase to God.  I believe most of us can easily answer that question.  If we don't set aside a portion first to God, we spend it on other things and then there is nothing left for God.  Amen!

Proverbs 3:9  "Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase."

Identity

     When asked how I would identify myself, I would probably say, I am approximately five foot six  with blonde hair, fair skinned and have green eyes.  Yet, if  I wanted to identify my spiritual nature, what would I say?  How would others describe me?  This may seem frivolous to some, but to me, it is very important. 
     1 Corinthians 15:50-52 tells me, "...an earthly body made of flesh and blood cannot get into God's kingdom.  These perishable bodies of ours are not the right kind to live forever.  But I tell you this strange and wonderful secret we shall not all die, but we shall all be given new bodies.  It will happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown."
    Therefore, my first consideration is to prepare and be ready, not with my physical body, but with my spiritual one.  To do that, I need to work on changing my identity spiritually. 

I - imitate the life of Jesus -- 1 Corinthians 4:16  Therefore I urge you to imitate me.
D- do good and love others-- Romans 12:21  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
E- extend charity to everyone-- 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a    Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.
N-nightly talk with God--  Psalm 42:8  By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me—   a prayer to the God of my life.

T- tithe time and money--Malachi 3:8  Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ In tithes and offerings.

I - incorporate the Word of God into my life daily-- Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
T- testify about the trust of God-- Matthew 28:19-20  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age
Y- yield my life and my will to God-- Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.