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GIVE CAREFUL THOUGHTS TO YOUR MONEY 
Haggai 1:1-8



“Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”” Haggai‬ ‭1:5-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How is it with your financial life? Are you happy? And the world around you are happy too for the money you have? And God is pleased too?

Money is the second biggest topic after love in the Bible! There are 2,350 verses on money, wealth, and possession. (Study by Howard Dayton qtd by Gregory Baumer and John Cortines in “God and Money: How We Discovered True Riches at Harvard Business School”) And the perhaps also the second most complex issues after love or relationship! Through the prophet Haggai, the Lord warned His people, “Give careful thoughts to your ways...” How do you manage your resources? Your money? Your wealth?

In this text, God challenged His people to pay attention to His house! (Vv2-4) He was calling them to re-focus! In the same way, I believe He is calling us too...

Giving back to God, to His house, is an act of faith! The purpose is that the House (church) could extend the blessings to wider humanity, within and outside the church. 

Blessings, money in this case, come from the Fountain of blessings! God, our Jehovah Jireh, our Provider doesn’t need our money! Giving is for our sake so that we will not get lost sight in pursue of money! God reminds us: “Give careful thought to your ways... “

Re-focus to the Giver! When we realise Who is the Source of all that we have, I believe gratitude will arise from our heart and becomes our life driving force!

Second, by bringing the fruits of our labour to God apart from the expression of thankfulness, it is also an act of faith! Where we put our trust? The Giver or His blessings! When we tightly griping the blessings beware that we may indeed be posssessed by money! Money knows no bounds when we take money as the end and not the means!  The truth is we need to have a freedom to use our money—that we are not being controlled by money that we begin to see life and everything through the financial lenses!

God is the End, Money is the means. And we need to see everything, including our money, through the Giver’s eyes! He is our Giver, the Fountain of Blessing, our Jehovah Jireh!

May we continue to seek and trust in God, the Giver first! Let the Giver show us how to manage our money, never let our money direct our lives especially never let money take over the place of the Giver in our life! 

 Jesus reminds us: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

May your day be a good one! God bless!

~plt260919

#pltwrites #money #Haggai #theGiver #givecarefulthoughts #financiallife #financialplan #theendandthemeans #gratitude #Godandmammon #HouseofGod #Giving GIVE CAREFUL THOUGHTS TO YOUR MONEY 
Haggai 1:1-8

“Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”” Haggai‬ ‭1:5-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How is it with your financial life? Are you happy? And the world around you are happy too for the money you have? And God is pleased too?

Money is the second biggest topic after love in the Bible! There are 2,350 verses on money, wealth, and possession. (Study by Howard Dayton qtd by Gregory Baumer and John Cortines in “God and Money: How We Discovered True Riches at Harvard Business School”) And the perhaps also the second most complex issues after love or relationship! Through the prophet Haggai, the Lord warned His people, “Give careful thoughts to your ways...” How do you manage your resources? Your money? Your wealth?

In this text, God challenged His people to pay attention to His house! (Vv2-4) He was calling them to re-focus! In the same way, I believe He is calling us too...

Giving back to God, to His house, is an act of faith! The purpose is that the House (church) could extend the blessings to wider humanity, within and outside the church. 

Blessings, money in this case, come from the Fountain of blessings! God, our Jehovah Jireh, our Provider doesn’t need our money! Giving is for our sake so that we will not get lost sight in pursue of money! God reminds us: “Give careful thought to your ways... “

Re-focus to the Giver! When we realise Who is the Source of all that we have, I believe gratitude will arise from our heart and becomes our life driving force!

Second, by bringing the fruits of our labour to God apart from the expression of thankfulness, it is also an act of faith! Where we put our trust? The Giver or His blessings! When we tightly griping the blessings beware that we may indeed be posssessed by money! Money knows no bounds when we take money as the end and not the means!  The truth is we need to have a freedom to use our money—that we are not being controlled by money that we begin to see life and everything through the financial lenses!

God is the End, Money is the means. And we need to see everything, including our money, through the Giver’s eyes! He is our Giver, the Fountain of Blessing, our Jehovah Jireh!

May we continue to seek and trust in God, the Giver first! Let the Giver show us how to manage our money, never let our money direct our lives especially never let money take over the place of the Giver in our life! 

 Jesus reminds us: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

May your day be a good one! God bless!

~plt260919

#pltwrites #money #Haggai #theGiver #givecarefulthoughts #financiallife #financialplan #theendandthemeans #gratitude #Godandmammon #HouseofGod #Giving

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