You Cheat!

You have cheated me. Mal:3:8

A blatant statement, cutting through the heart.

Israel retorts back. How?

By not giving tithes.

Old Testament says 10% of what you earn belongs to the Lord. It went to as high as 33% of what is in your purse that an average Hebrew would give to God. Voluntarily. No compulsion.

But now is not the time to look to percentages. Is there anything which you have, that has not been given to you. Whatever you have is given by the Lord. Everything is His. Your time, your talents, your family, your job, your money. All belongs to Him. And unless you live a life based on this truth inclined to Godhood, submitting every aspect of your life unto Him, you are cheating on God. As you claim it yourself, you say it is mine, it's my desire to do whatever I want with it. You don't interfere. It's pride instead of humbling.

So what will happen of my needs, if I give it all to Him? Try giving. And I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in.

Try it. Put me to test.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. And all these things shall be added to you.

Father forgive me for holding on to the things which you have gifted me with and not giving back to you. The whole of it is yours. Not for me to decide what to do with it. And if I see a needy hand opened helplessly before me, help me to give selflessly. Just like how you have given on the cross.

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Be a man.

1 Cor:16:13 Be on the alert, stand firm in faith; act like men; be strong. Watch out. Look out. Be on the alert. Stand firm in faith. That is what men do. Be strong. Stay strong. Dwindling in your trust in God is what children do. Act like the man you are. Be a man. Stay strong on your faith. No matter what happens, hold fast to your God. That is mature faith. Do not let go to fear or anxiety. Be strong. Faith is trusting God, the Father despite what the circumstances look like. Knowing fully that He is in control. That He will take care and thats enough. He is enough. Image credit; https://www.freepik.com/premium-photo/hand-holding-fist-symbol-determination_139829368.htm

Endure

2 Cor:4:18 For the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal. Unless we live with this perspective, there is no hope, there is no strength to endure, there is no sap left to hold on. For endurance depends on your ability to look beyond the physical to the spiritual, beyond the present to the eternal and beyond the visible to the invisible. It is not imaginary. But a reality into which we place our trust. Therefore our afflictions though may appear heavy when we face it, it is in reality light and momentary, for the glory awaiting is much more heavy - far beyond any comparison. So look forward. Look beyond. Focus on eternal things. Store up treasures in heaven and not here in this earth. Set your heart in treasures above. That will help you to face your afflictions here on this side of eternity. That will help you to have faith and put your trust in the One who called you. He will not leave you half way. He who has taken care of your et...

Comfort in sorrow

2 Cor:2:7-8 You should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. When someone is sorrowful. 1. Forgive - forgive him for what He has done unknowingly or knowingly, personally and publically, verbally or physically, out of his sorrow. Just forgive. Just forget. Give another chance. Keep on giving one more. 2. Comfort - tell him it's okay to feel so. To feel overwhelmed. Tell him, I am there for you. God sees you and knows you. 3. Affirm your love to him - tell him I love you. I am there for you through thick and thin. To the best that I can, I will be there. You are not facing it alone. I am praying for you. Do not judge. Do not label. Do not gossip. Image courtesy: https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/child-and-dog-comfort-and-sorrow-vector-61716299

Trust the process

Thorn in the flesh. To keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me - to keep me from exalting myself. 2 Cor:12:7 Is there something which is a constant pain for you? Something which has not sorted out yet? Something for which you have fasted and prayed but hasn't worked out still? The pain is still there for a purpose dear one. To keep you from exalting yourself. To keep yourself humble. Know that your Abba is in control. He is Sovereign. He is good. And He will not allow anything beyond what you can endure. He has allowed this with a purpose. So when prayers are still unanswered, rejoice. For God is in control. He has this for a purpose. You might not get the big picture now. But God knows. Trust the process.

Smell good

For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 2 Cor:2:15 Do you smell Christ? Do you exuded His fragrance to God, among others? Do you have that sweet aroma of the knowledge of Christ? Or do you stink? The knowledge of God and sim cannot stand together. Sin will run in the presence of the knowledge of God. Wash clean of your dirt and apply the aroma. Similarly, wash clean of your sin by the blood of Jesus through confession and apply the knowledge of God. Simple. Image credit: https://gulfnews.com/amp/story/friday%2Fbeauty%2Fyou-smell-nice-choosing-the-perfect-fragrance-learn-the-art-1.1643542938723

Deliver

2 Cor:1:10 Who delivered us from so great a peril of death and will deliver us. He on whom we have set out hope. And He will yet deliver us. He who delivered us from death, physical death situations. He who protected us this far. He who has delivered us from spiritual death, eternal separation. He who gave us a wonderful salvation. He will yet deliver us now in this present perilous situation. God is bigger than the mountain that you face now. Even bigger mountains He has conquered for us. He will yet deliver us. In times of crisis, we need to repeatedly look at our salvation. How a Holy, Eternal God, became a finite being and die for a wretched man like me to redeem me. That is the greatest miracle. Keep looking at the ways in which He hath delivered you till date. He will still carry you through. Trust is all that is required. He will do what is best for you. That Rom:8:28 is always true. That Phil:1:6 is always true. That 2 Cor:1:10 is always true. 2 Tim:4:17. The L...

He will not flinch

For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes. 2 Cor:1:20 All the promises in the Word of God is 'yes' through Jesus Christ. Concerning salvation, peace, joy, redemption, sanctification, glorification. That means everything concerning the purpose and will of God. There is no scope of misinterpreting God's word and claiming that promise personally for you. It has to be in line with the central theme. All those are yes, in Jesus and through Jesus. And He never vacillates. He is not like shifting shadows, saying yes now and no then. For example; Now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, means, you stand uncondemned always if you are in Christ Jesus. He is always true. He never dwindles. He is not indecisive. He is sure. He is certain. He has set His eyes like a flint to bless. He will not flinch. He is trustworthy. His promises for you to bless you, to preserve you, to make you grow unto the head that is Christ, to establish you,...

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