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,
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