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Malachi 3:11 New King James Version
“And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the LORD of hosts;”
Does it seem sometimes that as soon as you think you are getting ahead financially something happens to cause a set-back? If this has been your experience, it is the devourer (satan) who is robbing you of your blessings. For many years I seemed to be experiencing this. I remember my mother saying that my father was a victim of this. In the verses preceding Malachi 3:11 tithing is mentioned. It also mentions God opening the windows of heaven and pouring out such a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.
I have given my way out of having the devourer steal my financial blessings. I have also learned to say positive affirmations concerning my finances, and that of my children, every day. It is not God’s will that His children should live in lack. It is His will that we should prosper even as our soul prospers. Should you tithe? The New Testament does not state that we should tithe. It does say that God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7”6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
I give as the Lord leads. I have also learned when money seems to be held-up, to give money away. We cannot sow sparingly and expect a large harvest. The harvest is proportionate to the amount sown. I have also found that some soil is more fertile than others. Sometimes when I sow in a certain place, I may see less of a return than when I sow in others. Pay attention to the harvest that sowing in certain places produces. It is not spiritual to say…”well, I don’t care about a return, I just want to give”. That is like a farmer saying… “well, I don’t care if the crop grows, I just like to plant seeds”. There are certain ministries that I sow into that produce a significant return. I have also sown into lives of individuals and seen a significant return. The church is made up of people, so we can sow into the lives of our brothers and sisters and see a return as well.
The main thing is to sow and to not sow sparingly. We should sow as the Lord leads. Remember when Jesus commended the widow who threw all her living into the treasury (Mark 12:43-44). Today, we hear of rampant inflation. Money does not purchase as much as it did before. You may need an increase in your Godly allowance. I remember working for the daughter of a developer as her secretary. I was responsible for paying her bills. I would pay as much as I could based on her bank account. One day she became angry with me and said, “when I do not have enough money, let me know so I can ask my father for more money”. Likewise, we may need an increased allowance from our heavenly Father to cover our present expenses. If her earthly father would do this for her, how much more will our heavenly Father do for us.
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