When going to the gas station we have an option of Full Service or Self Service. With Self Service, we have to get out of the comfort of our car and pump the fuel for ourselves. Sometimes, it’s raining, sometimes, it’s snowing, sometimes it’s windy and other times it’s bright and sunny. With Full Service, no matter what the temperature, no matter what the weather, we sit comfy and pay a little more while the service attendant fuels our car for us.
Pay Less (Self-Serve) and fuel up ourselves or Pay More (Full Service) and be attended to? hmmm quite the option.
I liken this service to paying our tithes. When we choose not to give God what is rightfully his, we opt to pay less and to fuel up ourselves. How many times have you gone into a cab and told the driver that you choose not to pay and he still brings us to our destination? Better yet, how many times have we gone to a restaurant and tell the waitress that we choose not to pay for the food, and she still brings our order to the table. The bible says, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.” KJV Malachi 3:8 When we choose to keep God’s tithes for ourselves and do it all on our own; that’s what I call Self-Service. The bible says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”. But, if we are doing things in our own strength, how can we do all things? How can we stand against things that are more powerful than we are if we don’t have the Lord on our side? Jesus paid the price for Sin, not for our tithes. A tenth still belongs to him.
With God, the concept of giving and bountiful blessings are interchangeable. [“…Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.] Malachi 3:10-12NIV.
It’s simple really, when God’s house has food, we are basically giving him something to work with, something to multiply (like the boy with the 5 loves and 2 fish and like the woman with the handful of flour in the jar and the little olive oil in the jug; their vessels never ran dry). With Full Service, we pay a little more, but we get attended to, we get our windshield cleaned and we stay comfy, secure and filled to capacity. What does this mean, we give, we see clearly, we are satisfied beyond measure, pests will not create holes in our baskets, our investments will ripen and mature and all will see that we are blessed. This is the key to unlocking countless blessings. This is the key to receiving clarity as you go through life. There is nothing like the abundant blessings of the Lord.
May the Lord richly bless you beyond measure in all aspects of your life as you continue to be obedient to his word and to seek him in all you do.
G.M.
G.M. Sunshine 