Life Plan Devotion #146 [Experiment in Tithing]

Malachi 3:10 "'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 you will not have room enough for it'" (NIV).

Today, we end the mini-series on giving. Perhaps you've heard it said that "You can't outgive God." That is so true. John Bunyan (author of Pilgrim's Progress) wrote, "A man there was and they called him mad; the more he gave, the more he had." The "world" doesn't get that, but, for the Christian who knows, believes, and acts on God's Word, that saying is true.
While we are not to tempt or test God, there is one place in the Bible where He gives us permission to test Him, to "prove" Him. It's Malachi 3:10 (our key verse, above). With that verse in mind, read the following true story about an experiment in tithing.
Perry Hayden, a Quaker from Tecumseh, Michigan, in 1940, heard a message on tithing, based on John 12:24, "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds" (NIV). He asked himself, "How much is 'much fruit' (King James Version of 'many seeds'), and how would tithing affect that?"
My. Hayden committed, before the Lord, to take 1 cubic inch (360 kernels) of wheat, sow it, and of everything that came in from that cubic inch, he'd tithe 10%, then sow the remaining 90% back into the ground, and he would do that for 6 years.
These are the basic statistics, in the interest of space:
Year #1, it took 4' x 8' to plant 1 cubic inch of wheat. He had a small harvest. He tithed 10%, sowing the remaining 90 percent. He continued the practice of tithing 10% of the harvest and sowing the remaining 90% back into the ground, each year for 6 years.
Year #2, it took 24' x 60' to plant.
Year #3, it took 3/4 of an acre to plant.
Year #4, it took 14 acres to plant.
Year #5, it took 230 acres to plant.
Year #6, 5,000 bushels of wheat kernels were sown on 2,666 acres.
360 kernels of wheat became 55 billion kernels of wheat in 6 years! Figuring the average yield of wheat farmers in the area, if they had not tithed but had sown 100%, they'd have made only about $21,000 over the 6 years. With Mr. Hayden tithing 10% and sowing 90%, God prospered his yield above the average farmer's, so that he made $288,000 in 6 years.
If you tithe 10%, God will bless the remaining 90%!

What this has to do with weight loss: Every day, you sow a seed for your weight-loss harvest. With every good habit, you set into motion a harvest of good health. Just as the farmer must be patient after sowing seed, resisting the urge to dig it back up to see if it's growing, you must be patient and allow for the slow changes. Just as the Lord honors your obedience in tithing, giving you an abundant harvest, if you partner with Him, and if you don't give up, one day, you'll see a whole new, healthier you.

Confession:
I am a tither. I give God 10% of all I earn. He blesses the remaining 90%, and I experience Floodgate blessings from Heaven.

Life Plan Devotion #88 [God's Armor--Helmet of Salvation, Part VI]

While Satan does not care what fight of fright you, the believer, get engaged in, let's look at the top 5 most common fears used by him to try to bury you. The Helmet of Salvation (which means deliverance), coupled with the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God), will give you protection and ultimate victory, if you use them.
The first of the 5 most common areas of fear, used by the enemy, is fear of want or lack. It's that fear that you will not have enough money to pay the bills, enough food to put on the table, that you will lose your job and your home. The state of today's economy sets the stage for that fear, and the daily news showcases the plight of millions of people who have seen their fears realized.
As a believer, you have the power of God's unfailing promises to cushion you from the fear of lack, but you must know and speak the Word. You must believe that Jehovah-Jireh, the God Who Provides, will provide for you. You must believe that the Word will work for you. If you do not, you will probably say one day, like Job, "That which I feared has come upon me" (Job 3:25).
Know the following points and the God-breathed Word behind them, and defeat the fear of lack. Look up each scripture reference, and commit them to memory.
1) God knows your every need. Don't worry about your needs; just pray and give them to God, trusting Him to provide. (Matthew 6:31-32; Luke 12:29; Philippians 4:6)
2) God wants you to prosper. Be a person He can bless. (Psalm 35:27; II Chronicles 26:5; Psalm 1:3; Psalm 37:3)
3) God expects you to be a giver. Be faithful to Him in your giving, and look for ways to help others. (Proverbs 3:9-10; Proverbs 11:25; Malachi 3:10; Luke 6:38)
Line yourself up with the Word of God, and you will be able to know, say, and see come to pass that "My God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).
Faithfully fight the fright of fear of want or lack, and you will be able to say, like the Psalmist, "I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging for bread" (Psalm 37:25).

Matthew 10:30-31
"Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, then."

What this has to do with weight loss: God knows every detail about you, even the number of hairs on your head. That's quite a feat, as many of us post-ops have experienced seeing more hair in our hairbrush or down the drain than on our head, or so it seemed. It is easy to fear going bald, but God knows, God cares, and God expects you to trust Him, even with your hair situation.

Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, it seems that everywhere I turn, the fear of want and lack stares me in the face. I know You don't want me to be fearful, and neither do I. You care about every detail of my life, and nothing is too difficult for You to work out. Help me to know what Your Word says about every situation I face, and give me the wisdom to trust You and speak Your Word into my life. I know that if I line myself up with Your Word, all my needs will be met. I pray in the Name of Jesus, with thanksgiving. Amen."

Go forth today, armed with the Sword of the Spirit, to slay the fear of want and lack.