Give and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.   Luke 6:38 ESV

We all like the concept of something for nothing, but I have found this rarely, if ever, exists. We all pay some sort of price. You may have noticed that prices are going up everywhere you look. You pay more in the grocery stores. You pay more to eat out in restaurants. Just a couple weeks ago, my husband and I went to a restaurant that we go to every few weeks. We noticed that they had some nice new menus. We also noticed that these new menus had some higher prices on them.

I would love to think that I could go into one of my favorite restaurants and sit down and order whatever I want to eat and that it would be free, but we all know it doesn’t work that way. We also know that if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. We get what we pay for.

This is why I am amazed at the number of seemingly intelligent people who honestly think that they can give God a little bit here and there and be blessed beyond measure. I guess I shouldn’t be so amazed, I used to be one of those people.

Yesterday, our pastor talked about tithing and used our scripture passage as an illustration. He based his sermon on Malachi 3:7-11. In this scripture passage we are told that we should give 1/10 to God. We should give the first and the best to Him, not our sloppy leftovers. In verse 11, we are told that when we do this, God will open up the windows of heaven and pour blessings down on us.

I want you to consider a couple of things today. First of all, do you want to go to heaven when you die? If you answered yes, then I want to ask you a couple of questions. Is it worth you taking the time to acknowledge Him as your Lord and Savior? Remember, if you do this, you will want to surrender your life and submit to Him. Is it worth trusting in Him and obeying HIs commands? Is it worth taking the time to confess your sins to Him and ask for HIs forgiveness? Is it worth repenting and asking God to fill you with His Holy Spirit to help you to remove this sin from your life? Is it worth all that for you to go to heaven?

Next, I want to ask if you want to be blessed in your life here on earth? If you answered yes, then what is that worth to you? Is it worth your time. Is it worth giving up your Sunday sleeping in and lounging around to get up and go and praise and worship Him in His house? Is it worth you spending some time each and every day in prayer and Bible study? Is it worth you taking the time to get into a deeper, closer relationship with Him? I encourage you to give this some serious thought. Are you doing what it takes to lead your family and others around you to Christ? Is it worth all that?

We will go to great expense and great lengths for hobbies and sports, but won’t give ten percent of our time and money to God? We wonder why our nation is in the mess it is in today. What would it be worth to you to see our nation turn around and be the nation we once were when we remembered that we were founded on godly principles? Are you willing to humble yourself and seek Him with your whole heart and turn from your sinful ways and pray to Him so that He will hear you and heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14)? Is it worth all that?

My friend we may be headed for some dire financial times in this nation, but if we are willing to trust in God and obey His commands, we will be okay. He will protect us. But if we choose not to, there is no guarantee that we will be protected when the hard times hit.

The Bible clearly tells us that we can’t out-give God. If we willingly give to Him, He will give back to us more than we can measure. I guess you just have to decide if it’s worth all that. Hope you decide wisely.

Have a great day!