Tuesday 5 April 2011

Being a Good Steward

I received this devotional in the mail today, and am I so glad that I did. Tithing is often a touchy subject in churches today. People prefer to hold on to their money, especially if circumstances are tight, rather than to give back to God what is really His in the first place. There is a fairly strong argument for giving the money to the church family that one is specifically a part of, but for me, that has never sat very well. When I was growing up, my Mom gave money to various mission organisations as well as to the church that we were members of. So what do I do in turn?


This reading has just given me such a sense of peace, that one must give one's money to where God wants it, and not always according to tradition. God does provide for those who are obedient.

“Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” – Proverbs 3:9-10

Dr. Brian Kluth was the Senior Pastor at the First Evangelical Free Church of Colorado Springs from 1999-2009.  In the fall of 2009 the church commissioned Brian to a newly created full-time staff position as a Generosity Minister-at-large to the body of Christ across the country and around the world.  This new role allows Brian to serve through writing, guest preaching and seminars at churches, conference/seminar speaking, and the development of video and online training and generosity resources.
Brian wrote the following: “While ministering in Africa, I met a Christian worker who raised his 6 children on $10 a month. He told me the story of how children in his village were going blind because of a disease that could be prevented with medicine that only cost 50 cents. He began to pray and ask God to send a rich person to their village to help give the money for the medicine, but no one ever came. As he kept praying, the Lord told him he should give the money to buy the medicine. But with 6 children and only a $10 a month salary, he couldn’t see how he could do this. But he and his family prayed and decided that every month they would buy the medicine to help one child. When I last spoke with him, he'd been doing this for 7 years and had saved 84 children from going blind. And his family saw God meet all of their needs.”

The Lord asks us to be a good steward of the money and goods we have. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for all that He has given you and seek to bless others with what you have been given.

“Feel for others - in your pocket.” - Charles H. Spurgeon

God’s Word: “"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings.” – Malachi 3:8

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2011, Devotional E-Mail
DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS