OBEDIENCE

I was blessed with a car a week ago and I wondered why God is so good to me. I don’t deserve a thing and yet He blessed me with a car. Why? The Bible says that if you are obedient you will be blessed. I am convinced that this is in response to my obedience in a certain matter a while ago. Don't make a mistake. Not for a second do I think I deserved this because I was so good. No I just believe that this is God's way of looking after His children. To be a child of God you have to obey His Word. You see I almost got involved in a situation that could have put me right back where I was 3years ago and would have been in direct disobedience to God’s Word. I just wanted it so bad, but I knew it was not what God wanted me to do. Sure the lines were a bit obscured and if I wanted to I could have reasoned my way into it, but it still would not have been in line with God’s Word. I had to make a choice. Do I want to follow my natural instincts or go against everything I wanted to do and obey God's Word? I eventually knew I had to let go and allow God and I am so glad I made the right choice. Right choice not because God blessed me, but because it allowed me to keep my peace.

This morning I was in a similar situation. Our pastor has been talking to us a lot about giving our tithe every month. He wants us to give the money because we really get the revelation that 90% is more than a 100%. It is not our money in the first place, but God's money. He wants us to understand that God wants us to rely on Him and Him alone.

So this whole tithe thing has been bothering me for a while now. End of last year I tried it, but thinking back I think maybe I wasn't completely at the right place. I gave a tenth of my money and I entered a season of financial difficulty. I could have turned around and say well I tried it, but God didn't come through for me. Anyway not in the way I wanted to, but I didn't. I stuck it out. Sometimes it was difficult to keep my faith, but I was determined not to allow my physical circumstances to rule me. Looking back God did come through for me.  I got a better job. In the long run this job is more secure than what I had and it is with people that really know God. Doesn't matter how miserable I feel when I go to work, I always walk out there feeling better. How many people can say that about their job? Not one day did I go without that which I needed? So yes despite struggling financially I can honestly say that I have more than a lot of other people and more than I had a year ago.

So this morning I was sitting with my budget. I am soooo short this month. August was a real slow month for everybody. So looking at my budget this thought entered my mind out of nowhere: Pay your tithe. Naturally my first thought was: No I can't! Surely this can't be God asking me to do the impossible? Last Sunday's sermon was about our conscience. So needless to say I could not stop thinking about giving my tithe, but I tried to get out of it by telling myself I just can't. It's just not possible. I am already in the red. But at the same time I want to be obedient. Then I went to church and the first thing that happened is a lady got baptised. Before they baptised her she said that she went through hell this year, but she wants to encourage us to keep the faith and just keep on walking through the storm. Then came the sermon. What does it mean to trust God? Do you trust Him after you have made the sums or do you trust Him even if it doesn't make sense. The scripture was Num 13 and 14. The men just came back from scouting the promised land and only Joshua and Caleb believed the Israelites could take it. The rest of the men said no the giants were too big. God said the land is theirs, but the men said the giants were to big. They didn't trust God and therefore did not obey. The result was that they did not go into God's rest. Instead they lived the rest of their days in the desert. In Heb 4:6-7 Paulus said God gave us another chance to come into His rest and that day is today. There is a difference between our reality and the reality of God's Word. We must determine what is real to us and what is real according to God's Word.

Wow did that stopped me in my tracks. Was this God confirming that what I heard earlier today came from Him. Do I have it in me to take the leap, because that was exactly what I would have to do. Leap! 

After the sermon I spoke to someone I trust and she told me that God wants us to trust Him enough to put our finances in His hands. She said that things will probably get worse before it get better, but I must persevere and trust that God will bring me through this. He promised to provide and I have decided to take Him on his Word. My reality says it's impossible, I can never make it through this month. Paying my tithe will put me in a double red. God's reality is that through the power of Christ in me I can do anything.

When I got home I put myself in a double red for this month. I sat outside this afternoon and I could not help but notice how at peace I felt. Even the atmosphere in my house changed. My kids did things tonight they have never done before. It's almost as if my obedience rubbed off on them. I can be scared, but I refuse to worry about this month. God will provide in whichever way He sees fit and that is enough for me and my children. I will look back on this in a years’ time and I know that I know that I will go down on my knees and praise God for the awesome God that He is. I also know that I know I will have an awesome testimony. People in our town is starting to come into line with God's will and already we are starting to see God's awesome hand in the way things are starting to change in our town. I am so excited and I have so much hope for the future. 

Watch this space. Awesome things are about to happen and I want to be right there in the middle of it. I can't explain it because there is no logic behind it, but then God is not a God of logic, but a God of faith.