Jeremiah 29:11

"HOPE AND A FUTURE"

                                                     

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  The bottom line?  Your nest egg resides in the hands of Almighty God!  That is, if you "lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal."  (Matthew 6:20)  Hey, these days, that scripture means a lot with the status of our American dollar!  

"Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go,

sell your possessions and give to the poor, and

you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come,

follow me."

(Matthew 19:21)

We can see how much stock our Lord Jesus Christ put in material possessions!  This is the same One who said "foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."  (Luke 9:58)  The God of the Universe had nothing in earth, wanted nothing, and came to gain nothing ... except the souls of men!  But, this same God rained down huge riches on His people in the old testament.  Jesus Christ is not against His children having wealth and riches ... just as long as those riches don't "have them!" 

"Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done.

The things you planned for us no one can recount to you;

were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many

to declare."  (Psalm 40:5)

It's all about perspective.  Yes, I need things, want things, even pray diligently for things, but when it comes right down to it  ...  The Lord has already done more for me and given me more than I could ever dream of, in the Spirit, in my Church, my awesome Pastor, my family, blessings over the years, and last but not least, the fellowship I have with Him ... sitting at His feet, hearing His whispers of love, and feeling His glorious presence from day to day.  Once you've tasted Glory; nothing else will do! 

But ... The Lord desires to bless us abundantly; He said so, "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."  (Malachi 3:10)  We must never neglect our tithes.  He said "Test me in this."  Jesus also said, "concerning the work of my hands, Command Ye Me." (Isaiah 45:11)  We do not knock God off His throne by being Bold with Him ... but we can be bold with a posture of humility. 

The gist of the matter is to pay our tithes, lay up treasure in heaven, and put our trust in the Word of the Lord; that's just what a few apostles did  ... they trusted the Word of Jesus and cast their nets on the other side.  We need to cast our nets heavenward, "on the other side!"  You say, "I've paid my tithes, but the financial blessings just haven't come."  There are many many blessings we receive other than money ... healings, protection, comfort, and unknown blessings (things we were protected from by God's Holy angels, which we will learn of on the other side of the rainbow), but if you need money, pray the Jabez prayer (IChronicles 4:10); then you must "Believe" that what you pray will be answered and bring to you what He promised ...  Hope and a Future! 

                                                                                                                        By Sheryl Fowler
                                             
                                                          (Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.
                                                     PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)