Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Owe No Man Nothing!

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,  says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows" (Mal. 3:10).

Hey Gang:  I went down to visit with a friend who works in a furniture store and while there a young couple with four little tikes came in looking for a washing machine.   After several minutes of looking at the payment plans that were available, the salesman said the best he could do was $75.00 per month.  The young mother remarked with a rather scorn look in her face to her husband, “if you just did not have to have a huge television!”   

I have mentioned many times, in these morning messages, that I was born and spent the first years of my life in the Appalachian Mountains, the son of a coal miner.   It was during the depression years and earning enough to just squeeze by was an ongoing battle for my parents and all the folks in the mining town.  I developed a fear that we would always be poor as church messes, and developed into a compulsive 'penny pincher'.    
  
I have always tended to pinch pennies, some would even call me Scrooge.   In the early years of my marriage, as an airman in the Air Force and money was sparse, I learned a basic lesson about God's provision.  

If I bring it all into the storehouse, He will meet my every NEED.  Notice the word "NEED".  Now I admit that I was fortunate that God sent a Cadillac into my life; she came from a family of itinerant preachers who God blessed with enough, but just enough. They had learned that it is not bangles and beads that brings peace and joy into one’s life. 

Now I could turn this into a ten page dissertation, but that is not my point, so let me cut to the chase.     The point I would like you all to hear is bringing it all into God's storehouse is to remove the anxiety that is centered on money.   God taught me several lessons that provided the foundation for security.  Lesson number one was to tithe, and when the need came into view to give gifts to hurting folks, GIVE.  And the second was to pay myself as I paid the bills.  We made our monthly deposits into the Hainley retirement and emergency fund account very faithfully.

We also adopted a principle that was given to us by Solomon when he wrote, "Owe no man nothing".  It is always amazing to the caller on the anonymous hot line that wants to sell me a program that will resolve my financial problems and get me out of debt, and I tell them I have no debt.  That just does compute with most young folks today.     Does that mean you cannot borrow money to purchase a necessity such as a house or car? Not at all! 

I believe those items are budget items that are basic needs and should be included in the budget.  BUT I also believe you can be happy in a used Blue Moon 45 by 8 foot mobile home that came fully furnished and was paid off within one year.    BUT I am not into putting the bangles and beads of this world on the cuff.    There is no worse bondage than the bondage of being in debt constantly and paying high interest to that piece of plastic in your wallet. 

Soooo,  my young friends, hear this from an old man that has found this principle to work:  give God His first, and pay yourself by saving, every time.  I have heard people say, I can't afford to tithe.  My answer to that is "You cannot afford not to tithe".

Don't forget if you want to view the prophecy blog: www.grampswhatshappeningman.blogspot.com
Blessings,

Gramps

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