“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Mal 3:10; KJV). Wow, that sounds good to me. God goes on to say in that passage from Malachi, that he will prevent satan from stealing his (God’s) blessings from us and people will see how blessed we are (Mal 3:11-12).

So often we limit God in our lives and this is the only place and context in the word where God says: “prove me”. However, there is a condition that we remember first to tithe to God. You might say well, that was Old Testament, under the law and does not apply to us today. The whole bible was put together under Gods direction to speak to us all today as Christians. (2 Tim 3:16) Nowhere does it say that tithing was ever done away with by God. Jesus said he did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it (Matt 5:17-19).

Abraham and Jacob tithed before the law was given (Gen 14:18-20; Gen 28:22). Abraham tithed to the king and priest Melchizedek (Gen 14:18-20) and we are told that Jesus is a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek (Heb 7:17). Jesus even commended the Pharisees for tithing; giving no indication that this practice should cease (Matt 23:23). Tithing was given by God to his people that they would fear him ( honor, respect and revere) (Deut 14:23), not as an onerous regulation. When we comply: my,my,my, the blessings abound.

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 “And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not” (Ezek 33:31-32; KJV).

I love how the word of God gets right to the basic issues of life. How often we ask ourselves, why am I not growing in my walk with God as I would like to, why don’t I experience God as I should?

Are we like the people God spoke about to Ezekiel? Do we hear and read God's word and enjoy it but don’t do it, don’t allow it to change us but go about doing our own thing? As we hear and read God's word, we need to ask ourselves, what does this word say to me, what does it mean, what is God trying to tell me?

The parable of the sower shows us so clearly how satan can steal the word from us or prevent it from bearing fruit in our lives through the pressures and busyness of life (Matt 13:3-9; 18-23). The word has the power (Heb 4:12; James 1:21) to change us, to bring good fruit into our lives (Matt 13:23; Gal 5:22-23) and make us doers of the word. (James 1:22) We just need to prayerfully apply ourselves to read, study and meditate it. (1 Tim 4:13;15).

We need to ask the Holy Spirit to show us what God is saying to us in his word, to open his word to us (John 14:26). Then we will not need to tell people we are Christians, they will see it in our lives (1 Tim 4:15).

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Do you have children that have not accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior or who have turned away from God? Nothing can be more heartbreaking than raising your children in a Christian home but then see them rebel against what they were taught. However, it does not have to be that way forever, because God has some promises concerning our children.

In Isaiah 43:6 (KJV) it says: "I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth." Isaiah 60:4 is a very similar verse. If God did this for his children, the people of Israel, he can bring our children back into fellowship with him.

In the New Testament Paul and Silas told the prison jailer that he could be saved along with his whole household. (Acts 16:31). In Proverbs 22:6 it is written: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it”.   These are all promises that we can stand on; but this requires faith as well as patience and much prayer.

We know that the promises of God are: "yea, and in him A’-men" (2 Cor. 1:20). God is faithful to his word. In Isaiah 59:21 we are told that God's words’ will not leave our mouths nor of the mouths of our descendants or our descendants’ descendants. Now that's a promise.

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Have things come against you? People? Problems? Pressures? Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into a furnace so hot that the guards who threw them in were killed by the heat (Dan 3). The 3 were thrown in the fire because they refused to worship the image of King Nebuchadnezzar. When in the 3 were in the furnace, the King noticed a fourth person: "like the Son of God" (Dan 3:25). Jesus was in the fire and delivered them.

Paul described the tribulations, persecution and afflictions that came against him as he obeyed God in ministry (1 Cor 11:24-28; 2 Tim 3:11-12). He was beaten stoned, hungry, tired and threatened by angry crowds and robbers. However, Paul said triumphantly that God delivered him every time.  

Jesus said we would have challenges in this life but he also said not to worry because he is victorious over everything that can come against us. (John 16:33). Jesus was in a boat with his disciples when a fierce storm arose. The disciples woke him up in a panic: “And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:39).  Isn't it wonderful to know that when the storms of life come against us, we have Jesus in our boat (Mark 4:35-40)?

Been in the fire lately?

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Wisdom for Every Issue of Life

“My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures.” (Prov 2:1-4; KJV)

Do you get the impression that God is trying to tell us something here? He directs us to receive his word, not just hear it. We are to treasure his commands, incline our ears to wisdom, apply our hearts to and lift up our voice to understanding. God says, cry out for discernment, seek understanding as silver and search for her as if she were a treasure. This does not have the ring of a passive occupation but one of active pursuit, a passionate pressing in to something of paramount importance in our life.

As we do this, God gives us the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s word to us; (John 14:26) we just need to do our part.

If we look at the whole of the second chapter of Proverbs, we see the benefits of our pursuit. We will learn to respect and hallow our awesome God. We will understand justice and equity and how God sees us as his children; righteous in his presence. God gives us the knowledge, understanding and wisdom we seek. My, how we and the church need all of that. God will lead us, protect us and preserve us and cause us to dwell in the land. When Israel dwelt in the land and obeyed God, the nation settled, prospered and enjoyed peace. Does this interest you? It should. Well, the action plan is simple.

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