God's Words of Life

The other night at MOPS I received a God's Words of Life. A Women's Devotional Bible. Today is really the first time I've started reading through it and I wanted to read something about Finances, so...

Devotional thoughts on Finances:
The New Testament is full of warnings about a god closer to home, especially to today's' believers: "You cannot serve both God and Money" (Luke 16:13)

Trying to do so is our downfall. What we tend to think of as prudent financial sense is often what the Old Testament believers thought of as prudent financial sense : playing both sides. Serving God and Money. Like those Israelites, we find people serving Money all around us. Our culture is permeated with it.

How do we know when we've made "making a living" more important than the living God? When we sacrifice freely of our time and energy at the altar of material gain. When we begin to feel safe because of our insurance policies, mutual funds and level of income - rather than because God's hands are holding us. At that point we've lost contact with the mighty power of the living God.

The Israelites turned from the living God to a pile of carved wooden blocks. Are you a New Testament believer who's turning -for all the "right" reasons -from the living God?

Edith Bejema

Just because this particular letter is about finances doesn't mean that's where it stops. I was secure, for a while, because of my finances. I had a great job with lots of freedoms and within the last 2 weeks I've filed for unemployment and additional state services but I don't feel scared or worried -why, I think it's because I know I will be taken care of. God has brought so many wonderful things into my life already I can only imagine what is yet to come.

Don't get me wrong -- I've had some down days where I've questioned quite a bit but I am slowly realizing there is no need. The Bible says:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. Psalm 23:1

Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, "How do we rob you?" In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse - the whole nation of you - because you are robing me. Bring the whole tithe in the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room for it. Malachi 3:8-10

So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" for the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:31-33

How does one learn to depend on God? By serving others, by giving of your time, or by your offerings (I'm sure there are many more ways as well). This is definitely something I would love to be more involved with... somehow.

Anyway, those were my thoughts this morning. What are your's? How do you depend on God? How do you serve?