bank balance blessings

    If you don't know Bobby and I very well let me just tell you now we are far from being considered weathly. We do not have all we want but we have what we need in surplus and then some. We are also believers in doing what you love and not doing something for the money. We stay a lot happier that way. In our short time being married we have had times when the money was just not coming in like it we had hoped. We have had times where we had to skip on some things to make sure bills were being paid. This is in no way a complaint. I think it is these times that builds our relationship with each other and God. We actually haven't suffered from not eating at Wendys a couple of times and cooking instead, or not going to see a movie. Crazy right? It was in those times when God revealed Himself to us the most. When He not only provided but showed off a little in the process.
     I was taught at a young age about tithing. How we are to give God a tenth of our earnings first before we give Uncle Sam or AT&T what they are owed. To many people this is a situtation thing. If the bank is full so is the offering plate but if the bank is almost to the red line the plate is passed. I actually understand the reasoning in it. I really do. It's scary to give when you don't know if the check you have written will clear or not. Or worse you may have to go home and eat the Sunday lunch and not to some resturant. If we are honest giving may not be the issue but the "first" part is sorta tricky. You will give if there is any left over after all else is paid.
     I was fortunate to marry a man who is a firm believer in tithing no matter what the bank statement says. There have been times when I see him carrying that pink enevelope to the car and I freak a little bit because I have just seen our account balance. But he is faithful in his tithing. Our tithing. We see it as a form of worshipping our Lord. The God who paid our debt on the cross. 
     I just began a study in Malachi and I found something that is really near and dear to our story.
                     
                       “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me!”
                           You ask: “How do we rob You?”
                   “By not making the payments of the tenth and the contributions.  
                 You are suffering under a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing Me. 
             Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house.
             Test Me in this way,” says the Lord of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates
           of  heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.   I will rebuke the devourer  
            for you,  so that it will not ruin the produce of your land and your vine in your field will not
             fail to produce fruit,” says the Lord of Hosts. “Then all the nations will consider you
                fortunate, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of Hosts.-Malachi 3:8-12

Many times when Bobby and I have been struggling to see ends meet God has opened the floodgates. I cannot believe the blessings we have been given for a small faith task of tithing. I think about how differently the world would see the church if ever believer began to tithe like they should. The verses said "the nations will see you as fortunate..." What if in this uncertain economy churches were being built and built onto without a loan from the bank. Or able to do "impossible" tasks that had a seemingly high cost becasue we were using the blessing God gave us. I want that for my church. I want Bloom Baptist to be considered fortunate. I was us to reach people because of out faithfullness to worship and obey God!

this is just the image i get when i think of God opening floodgates...it's from Ducktales!