Devotionals

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Proverbs 25:14
(excerpt from Morning Meditations by Martin Wiles)
Proverbs 25:14 A person who doesn’t’ give a promised gift is like clouds and wind that don’t bring rain. (NLT)
Somewhere along the line I reneged on my promise. As a child, my parents had taught me to tithe my income to God. From the time I was given an allowance for doing chores until I began my first job, I tithed. After leaving home, I continued the process until…well until things took a nose dive financially.
It was mid life for me when two incomes suddenly became one. Then the one became half of what it once was. The outgo was greater than the income so my upkeep was becoming my downfall. I began to look for expenses to cut so ends would meet. Giving got the axe. Well not completely. It was actually my attitude that changed. “God understood my situation was not self inflicted. He would understand if I skipped some weeks or just gave a fraction of what I should,” so I reasoned. Under the circumstances, it was easy to convince myself I was right, but wrong never is.
Reneging on our promised gifts is like rainless clouds in a season of drought. I know God’s frustration. How often I’ve watched dark clouds and hoped they would drop rain on my parched garden only to observe the wind blow them by.
From my earliest years, I was taught a person can’t outgive God and that He will reward sacrificial giving. Since He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and I don’t even own one-cow or hill, I see the truth in the statement. God finally convinced me I was wrong. I decided to re-adopt the proper attitude of giving whether I could afford to or not. Instead of bills first and giving later, I gave first then worried about paying the bills. Somehow they got paid. I think I know why.
God’s work depends on giving. Churches, mission organizations, preachers, missionaries, and Christian groups depend on monetary gifts to keep their ministries going. God’s work can only be energized through sacrificial, consistent and properly motivated giving. Are you reneging on God?
Prayer: Lord, help me put You first in my giving, trusting You to care for my needs as I put Your work first.

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