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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why fear

What has been entrusted

1Tim:6:20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Each of us have been given these entrustments. It can be family; it can be privileges and opportunities; it can be blessings in this world; or knowledge or insight from God; it can be your job; it can a good habit. Whatever you can think of- it is a gift from God entrusted to you. Guard it. Value it. Cherish it and take care of it with utmost thankfulness and seriousness. When you think of people, who do not have what you have, it fills you with gratitude to God. And you take care of it with seriousness; without a careless attitude. That will take away the routine mundane boredom to deal with it. Contentment is the key to gratitude. The truth to realise is - that you have been given. That you have been gifted. The reality is that all you have is not what you deserved. Therefore do not take these lightly. You have been just kept as a steward, not as an owner of what you "have". A steward does not deserve....

Godliness

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Contentment

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Jehovah yeshmor

But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength. 2Tim:4:17 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom 2Tim:4:18 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress My God in whom I trust. Surely He will save you from the fowler's snare And from the deadly pestilence He will cover you with His feathers And under His wings you will find refuge His faithfulness will be your shield and your rampart Ps:91:2-4 As the mountains surround Jerusalem So the Lord surrounds His people both now and forevermore Ps:125:2 And I myself will be a wall of fire around it, declares the Lord. Zech:2:5 The Lord will protect you. He will guard you. He will be your shield. Jehovah yeshmor. Do not be afraid of anything under the sun. For He the Sovereign ruler is our Father. Image credit: https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=%22wall+of+fire%22

Work hard, rather than hardly work

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Cleanse

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