This Financial Thingy Pt. 2

Our PM warns us this morning of tough times ahead of us even though, he said, we are not heading for a recession. I doubt the accuracy of his report. In any case, here's a parable.

At one point in life we read about the story of the 3 little pigs. Seeing it was time they left home and begin a life on their own. The first pig, being lazy and all, built his house with straws and hay. It provided good shelter from the sun and the rain. The second pig built his house with wood while the third pig built his house upon the bricks. One day came the big fat wolf. Long story short, he huffed and puffed and blew down the houses that was build with straws and hay and wood. When it came to the house on bricks, he was unable to blow it down. Somehow the captive pigs escaped and found safety in the house built upon bricks. The wolf tried to enter the house via the chimney only to find a pot of boiling water at the bottom of it. He perished and the pigs were saved.

Moral of the story? Couple of things. First of all, don't be lazy. Second of all, don't be careless. And thirdly, in all your doing be diligent! It may takes a little more sweat, a little more hard work, a little more learning, but eventually it'll pay off.

Nations of the world today are bracing themselves for a global recession. Governments are pumping trillions of dollars into saving the banking industry when they themselves are in insurmountable debts. What is happening is eventually the "bubble" will burst and when that happens, people will lose their jobs, lose their income, lose their savings while inflation goes sky high! There will be a domino effect but the bottom line ... loss and sufferings. But this of course is not something new. It has happened before. It can happen now and it will happen again. Being forewarned in the Bible, the questions is ... have you taken heed to God's Word? Are you building your future on straws and hay and wood or on the rock? Or have you been, like the 5 foolish virgins in the parable (Matthew 25:1-13), careless about the way you live your life during good times? Are you in debt today? Are you living beyond your means? Are you into self indulgences?

I thank God for the concept of tithing. A tithe is a tenth, and in the Bible, the tithe is holy and it belongs to God (Lev 27:30). All these years being a Christian I have learned to be faithful to God in my tithing, be it good times or bad times. I tithe because I love God. I tithe because it's what God requires of me. I tithe because the tithe does not belong to me. It's God's! And I tithe because I know what comes first ... the chicken NOT the egg!

When God created the world in Genesis, He did not create the egg first so that it could hatch later. He created everything, male and female. So the chicken came first, not the egg. In like manner, before the existence of anything physical on earth, God was already in existence! In Corinthians Paul said the things that are unseen (speaking about the spiritual realm) are more tangible, more real than the things that are seen. In other words, there are two sets of laws operating today. The natural laws and the spiritual laws. Which one comes first is obvious. The spiritual laws supersede the natural laws. For example, in cases of miracles, the spiritual laws takes precedence. Jesus was able to heal the sick and perform miracles because He was not operating by the natural laws but by the spiritual. He was able to walk on water because the spiritual laws supersede natural laws. In other words, there's hope yet for all of us!

You see, the tithe is not just about what belongs to God (In fact all that we are or have belongs to God). The tithe is about a spiritual law. When applied it supersedes the natural. If tomorrow brings in a global recession, you need not fret because we operate by a higher set of laws! I'm talking about God's provisions, about miracles. When you apply the laws of tithing in your life, this is what God said in Malachi chapter 3 verse 10-11 ...

Bring the whole tithe into 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 enough for it.(11)I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. (12) "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.

God is not at all concern about recession and business failures or loss of jobs. He knows how you and I can keep the "pests" from devouring our lives. He knows how our "vines" will still bear fruits even in adverse times. In fact He said we will be a "delightful land" even in adverse times. Is it therefore a wonder that Jesus should tell us not to worry or fret over tomorrow? While living in the natural realm, we operate by higher laws. As long as you follow the Word, live by the Word of God, you operate by God's laws and will reap the benefits of God's laws!

Once again I must state the fact that I am not a financial person. I know nuts about economics and the natural laws that surrounds it. While the world may forecast an impending recession ahead of us, I will not fret because "... for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day (2 Tim 1:12).

Church, you cannot afford not to tithe. If you believe in God, believe also in His laws and intentions. This is prophetic. I blog this for your benefit. Don't build your future upon straws, hay or wood but upon the infallible Word of God! That way you will always be prepared for tomorrow. May God's riches be upon you always.