Christian Finance Blog - Obedience

God Blesses Us When We Do His Will

nospam@example.com (The Christian Money Coach) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 10:16:00 -0600

“When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels.” Genesis 24:22 (NIV)

This is the introduction to Rebekah’s story. To provide some background, Abraham sent his servant back to their hometown to find a wife for his son, Isaac.

This was a major undertaking for the servant, and he wanted to do his job well. When the servant made it to the town of Nahor, he prayed to God to direct him to the woman God had in mind for Isaac.

God answered the prayer of Abraham’s servant, helping him to find Rebekah drawing water at the well.

While there are numerous life lessons that we can find in Rebekah’s story, we will just look at a few.

God has a plan for our lives

While we may go through life thinking that we are in control of our present and our future, that thought is really far from the truth. God put us here on earth for a reason. He has a plan for our lives.

As we can see from Rebekah’s story, God can change the direction of our lives in an instant. Rebekah was doing her regular, daily chores, drawing water from the well for her family. Little did she know that God would place her there at just the right time so that she could meet Abraham’s servant.

God had a plan for Rebekah’s life. He wanted Rebekah to be Isaac’s wife.

Can we do God’s will?

We are made in God’s image. We are God’s representation here on earth. God uses us to help people come to better know Him and His love.

Abraham’s servant was in a foreign country, and in need of water for himself and his camels. The servant asked Rebekah for a drink, and she was kind enough to oblige, as well as to draw water for the camels.

God will, from time to time, send people in need our way. We should be aware of these opportunities to let God’s light shine before others. As with Rebekah and Abraham’s servant, we could be the answer to someone’s prayer.

Our lives will be changed and blessed as a result of our obedience

Although Rebekah didn’t know it at the time, her simple act of kindness would lead to major changes in her life. Immediately, she was provided with gifts of gold jewelry. Later, she would go from small town girl to Isaac’s wife. She became part of Jesus’ family tree.

We have no idea what else God has in store for us and our lives. Like Rebekah, our obedience can lead to both short-term, temporary blessings, as well as long-term eternal blessings for us and our families. The only way we can find out is through our patience and obedience to God’s will.

We Cannot Waiver in Our Obedience

nospam@example.com (The Christian Money Coach) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:35:00 -0600

“On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him.” Genesis 17:23 (NIV)

It is always interesting to me that, as Christians, we know the difference between right and wrong, yet we still find ourselves choosing to do what is wrong in some situations. Granted, this is a natural, human response to life. Many of us pray daily for help fighting against this weakness.

In this verse, Abraham reminds us of three keys when it comes to obedience.

1) We cannot procrastinate when God gives us instructions

The first four words of this verse make our role very clear. “On that very day” shows that Abraham didn’t put God instructions to him on hold. He didn’t tell God he would think about it or pray on it. He didn’t go to family or friends to run it by them. God told him to do something, and he did it – on that very day.

Oftentimes, when it comes to our finances, we procrastinate on making decisions. We don’t want to take the time to put a budget together. We put off balancing the checkbook. We tell ourselves that we will start tithing when the bills aren’t so bad. We continue to use the credit card because it is more convenient. The list goes on.

Putting things off usually causes us to dig ourselves deeper into the hole we are already in. It makes it harder to climb out, and eventually it begins to feel hopeless. We have to get away from delaying the inevitable. There is no better time than now to start working toward a better life.

2) No one is exempt

Abraham took “every male” with him. No one was left out. There are no exceptions to God’s instructions.

We can’t say that someone is exempt from being a good financial steward because they are too young. Youth is the best time to start developing great financial habits.

There is no exemption for being “broke” or “poor.” The tithe is a percentage, not a dollar amount. God wants 10% of a dollar just as much as He wants 10% of a $10,000 paycheck. If we are faithful with a little, we are more likely to be faithful with much.

3) We need to do things God’s way, not our way

This verse ends with four more very important words: “as God told him.” Abraham shows us another great example of how we should handle life. God will provide direction for us, but we have to seek Him and ask Him.

God has plans for all of our finances, not just the 10% tithe. But, more often than not, we make plans for that paycheck without any guidance from the source of that money.

Could it be that we are afraid to ask God for direction because we are afraid of what that answer might be? Mentally, we may decide that it is easier to mess up because of a lack of knowledge than because of outright disobedience. But, regardless of why we do it, we know that messing up still puts us in a bad spot, and it can be hard to recover from some of our mistakes.

Moving forward, let’s commit to following the example set by Abraham. Let’s move away from procrastinating. Let’s stop coming up with excuses for why we are “exempt.” Let’s commit to seeking God’s guidance in all of our financial decisions.

It’s God’s Battle, Not Ours

nospam@example.com (The Christian Money Coach) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:38:00 -0600

“But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.” Genesis 15:14 (NIV)

We face challenges on a daily basis, whether at work, at home, or in between. Some of those challenges are easy enough to work through, while others have us begging God for relief.

In the midst of those struggles, we sometimes forget that God is with us. We feel like we’re alone, yet He promised never to leave us or forsake us.

When someone wrongs us, we are so quick to want to retaliate. But God has told us that revenge is His. We are instructed to love our enemies and to pray for them.

How difficult can that be when we are hit daily with negativity? How hard is that when there never appears to be any relief?

God sees

But God sees what we’re going through. He knows how we feel. When bank fees hit for any and every reason, He takes note. When the mortgage company refuses to work out a payment plan with us, He sees that, as well. When the credit card companies increase their interest rates or double the minimum payment, God notices.

God doesn’t want us to be enslaved. Jesus came to free us. Yet, we find ourselves chasing after the things of this world. We allow ourselves to be held in bondage in exchange for these temporary pleasures.

It’s time to let go

In those times, patience is crucial. We have to learn to let go and let God. He promises in the first part of the verse that He “will punish the nation they serve as slaves.” Everyone we “serve” is in danger.

We remember that the Israelites spent 40 years wandering in the desert. They refused to “let God.” Their disobedience brought years of heartache and disappointment. In fact, it carried over from one generation to another. Children were impacted by their parents’ disobedience.

How long are we going to wander in our desert? How long will we allow this bondage to last?

The second part of this verse gives us a glimpse of what happens AFTER God comes in. It says, “they will come out with great possessions.”

That means that God is just waiting to pour blessings down on us. He can do so much more for us than we can do for ourselves. But God has thrown a condition in there. The great possessions don’t come until AFTER God has come in on our behalf.

God can see more

It’s hard to sit back and let God fight our battles. We want so badly to feel that we can take care of things ourselves. But more often than not, when we take matters into our own hands, we make the situation worse.

As parents, we try to guide our children to help them avoid some consequences that we know are likely to result from certain actions they are considering. At the same time, our heavenly Father can see the consequences of some of our potential actions. He wants to guide us toward blessings, not curses.

We just have to make a choice. Who will we serve? Those who control our temporary pleasures in this world or He who controls our eternal happiness away from this world? There is no way to serve both.

Can we make an effort to allow God to guide us in our decision-making, rather than taking matters into our own hands?

Who is in the Driver’s Seat?

nospam@example.com (The Christian Money Coach) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:53:00 -0600

“And Abram said, ‘You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.’” Genesis 15:3 (NIV)

This verse points out a characteristic of mine that I struggle with. I’m sure that I am not the only one. Here, Abram was challenging God’s will. He was worried about getting old and not having a son to carry on the family line. He was concerned that his inheritance would end up going to one of his servants.

This illustrates our struggle with God’s timing. We want or expect things to happen the way we would like. Sometimes, though, God has other plans. In Isaiah 55:8, God told us that, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways.” (NIV)

God has reasons for not allowing certain things in our lives, even if we really want them. A “no” from God may have different meanings, though. “No” could mean “not ever” or just “not now.”

Let’s look at a few Bible stories about people who took situations into their own hands.

Sarai (Genesis 16)

Sarai was Abram’s wife. She, too, was worried about Abram not having an heir. She offered her maidservant, Hagar, to Abram, with the hopes that he could build a family through her. As a result, Abram and Hagar had a son named Ishmael.

An angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar and foretold the future we could expect from this decision. Genesis 16:12 tells us this about Ishmael: “He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” (NIV)

To this day, there is strife in the Middle East. The descendants of Ishmael are today’s Muslims, who are still at odds with Christians.

Lot’s daughters (Genesis 19:30-38)

God had just destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot and his family were able to escape. However, Lot’s wife was disobedient and did not survive.

Lot and his two daughters settled in the mountains, and were alone. The girls worried about not being able to preserve their father’s family line. They plotted to get Lot drunk, and they both became pregnant by their father.

The sons born to them were Moab and Ben-Ammi, fathers of the Moabites and the Ammonites. Bible history tells many stories about the troubles that the Israelites had with these two nations.

The Moabites were a very disobedient group and often led the Israelites astray into immoral behavior, as well as worshipping other gods. (Number 25:1-3)

David (2 Samuel 11-12)

David fell for a beautiful woman named Bathsheba. Bathsheba was married to one of David’s soldiers, Uriah. While her husband was away at war, she became pregnant with David’s child.

David tried to clean up his mess by bringing Uriah home. But Uriah was a loyal soldier and refused to go home to his wife. Unable to cover up the pregnancy, David then decided that his only option was to have Uriah killed. He intentionally had Uriah put in the toughest part of the battle, and he died.

David married Bathsheba after her mourning period, and she gave birth to David’s son.

God did not take this lightly. He sent Nathan to talk to David. He reminded David of all the good that God had done for him. God said, “If all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in His eyes?” (2 Samuel 12:8-9 NIV)

David repented, and God forgave Him. However, that did not take away the consequences for his decision. Nathan told David in 2 Samuel 12:14, “But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the Lord show utter contempt, the son born to you will die.” (NIV)

We are not the only ones impacted

The choices we make have consequences that affect those around us. As we can see in David’s story, our children suffer (and even die) because of our bad decisions.

The stories of Sarai and Lot’s two daughters illustrate that the impact can last for more generations than we can possibly imagine. Throughout Bible history, many people have suffered because of the Moabites and Ammonites. A whole nation of Muslims, millions and millions of people, still do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

We must be more diligent in going to God in prayer about our desires. If our desires line up with His, God may bless us. If they do not, we must be willing to be patient to wait for the right time, or be content with God’s will.

There’s a country song by Carrie Underwood called “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” She asks Jesus to take the wheel from her hands because she can’t do it on her own. Neither can we. Let’s get out of the driver’s seat and allow Jesus to take over.

Know the Source (P.S. It’s Not Us)

nospam@example.com (The Christian Money Coach) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:44:00 -0500

“But Abram said to the king of Sodom, ‘I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’’” Genesis 14:22-23 (NIV)

We can learn a lot from Abram. He knew the source of his strength, his provision, his livelihood. He knew that he was nothing, and could do nothing, without God. In this verse, Abram also served as a living testimony to an unbeliever. Abram made sure that the king of Sodom saw his faith in God. Abram wanted others to see God work in his life so that maybe they, too, would turn to God.

Let’s look at three men that God used to show believers and unbelievers that He is the ultimate source.

Joshua leads the fall of Jericho (Joshua 5:13-6:27)

One example of God at work was the Battle of Jericho. The Lord sent a messenger to Joshua to let him know that God was going to deliver Jericho into their hands. Joshua was given very detailed instructions for handling the conquest.

The instructions were interesting. The Israelites didn’t have to fight the people of Jericho. Rather, they had to walk around the wall of the city once a day for six days. On the seventh day, they were required to blow trumpets and shout. No army could imagine that these instructions could bring about a victory.

But that was God’s point. He didn’t want the Israelites or the people of Jericho to think that the victory came from men. God wanted the glory. This type of victory would undeniably be from God.

Joshua led his army into battle, sticking strictly to the instructions given him. The walls of Jericho fell on the seventh day. The Israelites took the city.

Gideon defeats the Midianites (Judges 6-7)

While Joshua was a confident leader of his army, Gideon started out just the opposite. God chose Gideon, the smallest family member of the weakest clan, to lead the Israelites out of the bondage of the Midianites.

Gideon doubted his ability. However, God promised to be with Gideon and his army. But God, again, wanted the glory. Gideon started with an army of 32,000 men. God cut it down to just 300 men before he sent Gideon in to claim the victory.

The Israelites, as a whole, had been conquered and impoverished by the Midianites. As a nation, they had been unable to protect themselves. Yet, Gideon and 300 men were able to reclaim their freedom. Any witnesses to such an accomplishment would have to acknowledge God’s hand in it.

David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17)

Most of us are familiar with the story of young David. Goliath was a Philistine. He was a giant of a man and very confident. He challenged the Israelites to a battle. The losing soldier would subject his nation to becoming servants for the nation of the winning soldier.

The Israelite men were afraid to fight. But David was up for the challenge. He opted against traditional armor, and went to battle with just a slingshot and five small stones. God was with David, and he defeated Goliath with the first stone he used.

All of the onlookers saw God at work in that battle, as well as in David’s other campaigns. 1 Samuel 18:14 reads, “In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him.”

Just as these men of the Bible were able to use their experiences to introduce God to unbelievers, we should also show others how God is working in our lives. We should be careful with how we handle the recognition that we receive, making sure to return the glory to God. When good things happen in our lives, we should look at that as an open door to tell others the Good News.