Making Piles (JustJeff | Life Journal)

Making Piles

2 Chronicles 31:5,10
5 As soon as the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything.
10 And Azariah the chief priest, from the house of Zadok, answered him and said, "Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and have plenty left, for the Lord has blessed His people; and what is left is this great abundance."

There's a lot of discussion about "to tithe or not to tithe." Most of the concern people have with the issue falls into two categories; it's not a prinicple taught in the NT (I believe that's because it was assumed that believers would be fulfilling thier financial obligations) or that the tithe would really be better administrated by the individual rather than the church (so it doesn't get wasted on bigger buildings and staff. I believe you bring your tithe to the storehouse, your local church). My intrest today is not to discuss whether or not tithing is Biblical. Rather to imagine whatcould happen if God's people really gave according to Hs directives.

There is something so subtle that creeps into our lives about money, the "this is mine" disease. I knowwhat better to do with my money. I will use it as I see fit. I'm all for financial stewardship. But what I also understand is that this is His money that He has given me stewardship over. There is only one thing that He has given specific instuctions about what to do with it. That is to give the portion He has decided back to Him. Still I am digrssing from what todays lesson is really about.

Look what happened when God's peple gave what was asked of them. Ther was so much that they started piling it up in heaps because they had no where to put everything (v.9). If God's people today gave to Him what He asks of them, the church would become Gospel force we are meant to be, spiritually and socially. I've read in a magazine this month about churches that are building health care centers. I want to have a preschool connected to our church one day because of all the working moms in our area. Anyway...I think God's people are still making piles with thier money, but instead of it colecting for the greater good, it's collecting in garages as unused "big-boy toys," in photographs of expensive vacations, and in credit card interest rates. I'm not ranting against these things.ur sight. To be honest, I'd like to have some of them (just not the debt). I'm just wondering what could happen if the church started making piles together -"What is left is this great abundance."

Lord, I want to do what is right in Your sight.

Posted by Jeff on August 1, 2003 12:00 AM | Permalink

Making Piles

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