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September 2001, Page 1.
Index of articles.
Money:
index,
Missions,
Missions 2,
All from you,
Steward,
Test me,
Why money.
In this issue:
(September 2001)
Vicar's Letter,
Money,
Question,
Creed.
Test me in blessing you
“Bring the whole tithe into my storehouse,” says the LORD. “Test me in this, 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.”
This challenge, in the prophet Malachi (the last book of the Old Testament), was written when the people had returned from exile in Babylon, and rebuilt the walls and houses of Jerusalem, and begun work on the temple and restarted the sacrifices; but the day-to-day effort of staying true to God was beyond the people.
But the challenge is as much to us as to the Iraelites in Ezra’s and Nehemiah’s time. The question is this: Do we believe in a God who really exists and can look after us? Or do we really think that God is a convenient piece of theory, to reassure us in our inner selves but not actually do anything when the chips are down?
The same question is present in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. “Consider the birds of the air”, he says. “Doesn’t God look after them? Won’t he much more look after you?” Do we think he will? Or do we think that praising God for creation is fine for a harvest festival but irrelevant for looking after a home and family in the modern world?
I can’t convince you by logic that God really will look after you, but maybe I can tell you some stories of those who have proved it for themselves. Here are two real-life instances from a recent magazine:
“I started to tithe two-and-a-half years ago, although I felt I couldn’t afford it. I was always overdrawn, and my attitude to giving was to give God a tip now and then when I thought he needed it. I’d been a Christian about 16 years when my wife and I heard some teaching on stewardship, and felt very convicted by it. Since then we have seen God powerfully at work - it’s been amazing. Over four or five months our large overdraft was miraculously cleared, and we’ve never had an overdraft since.”
“My church in Bristol challenged me to start giving, using the model of 2 Cor 8 & 9. Amazingly, when I started to give cheerfully and obediently to God’s work, I stopped being overspent even on a student grant. As I’ve responded to God’s prompting, I have been very conscious of God’s provision for my every need.”
True stories - how about you?
John Hartley