We are entering the sixth week of our devotional series on Putting God First, and today we will address our finances. “OK, Keith, now you have gone to far. I was with you on discussing relationships and time management, but why are you bringing up my finances?”
In writing this weeks devotional, it is not my intention to get into your business of how you spend your money or how you give your money to the Lord. It is my intention to look at scripture and challenge you with the question of what are you doing with your possessions and your money. Scripture has much to say on this issue, and I ask you to read the scripture and ask yourself some honest questions in response to reading them.
Read this comment from Brian Anderson, founding pastor of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship in North Phoenix, Arizona as he addresses how we need to put God first in our finances.
Finances. God must be first in our finances as well. Proverbs 3:9-10 says, "Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce, so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine.” God says to give Him the first part of our earnings and He will bless the rest. Money is the number one test of our priorities. Our checkbooks reveal what is really important to us. There is a good chance that if I were able to examine your checkbook, I could tell a lot about you just by seeing how you spend your money. The way we spend our money indicates what is first in our lives. Most of you know that in the Bible, God commands us to tithe. To tithe means to give the first ten percent of our income to God. Have you ever wondered why God invented tithing? The primary purpose of tithing is to teach us to put God first in our finances. The truth is, if I am not tithing, God is not first in my finances. If He is not first in my finances, He is not first in my life, Jesus said this in Matthew 6:19-21,"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." God does not need our money. He wants what our money represents. He wants our hearts.
I totally agree with Pastor Anderson’s point that God wants all of us - our hearts, our minds, our money...everything. It truly is a matter of the heart - not the wallet. It might seem easy to departmentalize how we live our lives in sections and keep this area of our lives apart from God, but after reading these passages, it is clear that we cannot keep anything from God. It is all His - everything is His.
Simple and direct question for us to answer today is this, “Are you honoring God with your treasures?” If we are, then receive the blessing from the Lord. If you are not fully giving to the Lord, then begin today. Honor the Lord with the wealth he has given you. How you do that? There are many ways. Begin by realizing what you have - all of it - is the Lords. Then follow the instruction from the Bible and begin by tithing to the church. In addition to this, you can also support missions in your city, nation or the ends of the earth. You could also donate to a local ministry that is in need of support. There are so many ways to make your treasures honor God. Begin today!
Prayerfully yours - Keith
Watch this video of a family who has allowed God to be first in their finances.
Song of Encouragement today - Lord Almighty by Kristian Stanfill
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=0BFF1JNUFor more information on how to become educated in your finances from a biblical perspective, go to http://www.daveramsey.com/fpu
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