Don't Be Afraid

It was time to pay my tithes recently, but due to a bill that was several hundred dollars more than our previously discussed amount with a company it was either pay my tithes (10% of my income for kingdom work) or let it slide so that I would ease the financial crunch.  The fear of not having enough rushed in like the family member that you never invite but who always comes ready to make you miserable with all their bad news and/or criticisms.  It almost had me, but then a still small voice told me "never be afraid to obey God."  In that moment my anxiety turned to assurance.  Wasn't I just doing what God instructed?  Joy overflowed as I handed over God's money because that reminder opened my eyes and changed my life.  This was not just an instruction to get me to come up off of my cash, it was a boost for my faith in every area of my life.

   I don't have to be afraid to do what God says because all of the instructions that God gives me are for my own benefit as well as for his purposes.  In case you've never noticed, God's instructions normally come with a promise.  In the case of giving the Bible,which is God's word, says "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down shaken together, and running over shall men give into your bosom.  For the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." Luke 6:38.  I don't expect to get rich from giving to the work of God's people, but I can trust God to give me everything that I need.  When I obey God, the work of God moves forward and I am blessed.  I am convinced that God always has a win-win plan in mind for all of those who trust and obey him.  The only ones who should be afraid, and are afraid, of what God has planned are the devil, the enemy of God, and those following his ways.

      Fear is a spirit that doesn't come from God. Scripture puts it this way, " God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" 2 TImothy 1:7.









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