Withholding From God - 12/7/20

Withholding From God

Hey Family, today I need to talk to you about something that you may not understand about having a relationship with God. That something is: we can in fact offend God by holding back in so many areas of our lives. From lackluster tithing, half-hearted prayers, lack of faith, and arrogance to believe that, "We've got this..." God calls us to do and be more, and if we listen and act in accordance to His will we can expect great things. Now, let us bring this subject to the Father.

TODAY'S PRAYER

"Father, today starts a new week that has been filled with earthly 'plans and goals' that are bound to change. But, Lord, the one thing we always manage to do is schedule in how little time, effort, or resources we plan to give or do in Your honor. Lord, help us to see and make the effort of having EVERYTHING that we do be an attempt to showcase to You that we are in no way intentionally holding back from bringing honor and praise to You. Open our eyes, our heart and the tightly, clenched fist that we have holding onto all of our Earthly stuff  and help us to seek You more fully this week than we ever have. In Jesus Christ name we pray, Amen."

SCRIPTURE

If We Don't Hold Back, Neither Will He

Malachi 3:6‭-‬12 NIV

“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 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 there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty. "

How to Not Withhold from God

1 Thessalonians 5:16‭-‬22 NIV

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. "

Grace Given through Empathy

Hebrews 4:14‭-‬16 NIV

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. "

Quote of the Day

"Don't just learn, experience. Don't just read, absorb. Don't just change, transform. Don't just relate, advocate. Don't just promise, prove. Don't just criticize, encourage. Don't just think, ponder. Don't just take, give. Don't just see, feel. Don’t just dream, do. Don't just hear, listen. Don't just talk, act. Don't just tell, show.

Don't just exist, live."

- Roy T. Bennett

Have a blessed day! 🙂

THE POSSIBLE PLACE