Our Daily Bread

June 19, 2009

~Denise Grant

 

            “Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.’” Proverbs 30:8-9

 

Something to Think About:

 

~Is money an area of anxiety or contentment for you?

~Do you pay close attention to the way you spend your money?

~What significance do you think money has for your soul?

 

“Do not value money for any more nor any less than its worth; it is a good servant but a bad master.” ~ Alexandre Dumas

 

     Jesus calls us to steer clear of making money the highest priority in our lives – “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Matthew 6:24

 

     Our first loyalty should be to those things that never fade, cannot be stolen, used up or wear out. We should not be fascinated with our possessions or they can possess us. We may have to do some cutting back if our belongings become too important to us. Jesus beckons us to live contentedly with whatever we have as we are called to hold onto that which is eternal and lasting.

 

     Obsessing over money causes multiple problems:

• It’s easy to become distracted from God.
• We become greedy and envious.
• We become unhappy and ungrateful as we focus on what we don’t     

           have instead of what we do have.

 

     God cares so much about what we do with our money that He summons us to give a portion of our income to Him – straight off the top. “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.’” Malachi 3:10

 

     In all areas of our life, what matters most to God, is our level of trust in and honor for Him. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6  As you seek to honor the Lord by asking for His counsel and following His guidelines for money and work, He will meet your needs, according to His will.“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

 

God Will…

 

Take care of your needs – “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

 

Care for the poor – “For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.” Psalm 72:12

 

Help you obey Him – “For it is God who works in your to will and to act according to his good purpose.” Philippians 2:13

 

Bless those who are generous – “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.” Proverbs 22:9

 

 

     Take a peek at your checkbook and examine how you spend your money. Are you speedily splurging, unwisely wasting or squandering on senseless junk?

We must put God first place in our life - even our spending habits. Exactly how and where we spend our money, shows where our priorities lie. What is most important to you; people, material goods, food and fun? Any of these can quickly bump God out of first place if we don’t actively choose to give him first place in every area of our life.

 

     On a small card, write: “And it is He who will supply all my needs from His riches in glory, because of what Christ Jesus has done for me.” Philippians 4:19 TLB Place it in your checkbook where you’ll see it every time you write a check, or if you pay your bills online, post it next to your computer screen. Over the next month, every time you make a purchase, ask God to help you trust and obey Him when it comes to money and how you spend it.

 

     Have you ever prayed about an intended purchase before you actually made the purchase? Try asking God what He thinks about what you want to buy - or try sleeping on it. The item is often not quite as attractive in the morning. 

 

Father God,

 

You have been so generous with me and I’m so grateful for everything You have given to me. Help me to honor You with what I buy and the way I spend my money.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Denise Grant - Just "clay" in the Master Potter's hands.

 

The man who walks with God always gets to his destination.

If you have a  pulse you have a purpose.