Wrds Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Tuesday 12/30/08)

Offering Everything, But Doing Nothing...

Numbers 23:19-20 (Amplified Bible)
19) God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie, neither the son of man, that He should feel repentance or compunction [for what He has promised]. Has He said and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken and shall He not make it good?
20) You see, I have received His command to bless Israel. He has blessed, and I cannot reverse or qualify it.

Have you ever had someone tell you that they would help you out or that they would do something for you, but because you did not agree to do it their way or because you may have said nothing, waiting to see what they would do, they did nothing? Then later on they were quick to say what they offered to do, or what they said? It makes you want to jump up and say, "what exactly have you done for me lately?" But if you are anything like me you hold your peace, knowing that God sees and hears all of the promises void of substance and all of the words void of worth. What is a promise, a vow, an offering without fulfillment really? It is a lie. I know many may say that that is pretty harsh, but it is the truth, as my Grandma James would say I have to tell the truth and shame the devil. But the more frightening of events is not just when we do this to people, but rather when we give God the same treatment.

How many times have we been in a tight place, or been sick in our body and promised God that we would serve Him whole heartedly, but the minute the crisis ended we went right back to doing things the way we saw fit. I have heard so many people tell God if you would just do _________( and you can fill in the blank), I promise I will tithe or I will be faithful or I will treat my spouse better, or come back into your service, but yet when they feel the weight of the situation come up off of them they forget about their promise, their vow, their commitment. At that point it is easy to return to a place of compromise, complacency and sin. We have lied to ourselves and ask God to buy off on the lie as well. But even with all of that God knew what we would do, before we did it and yet He loved us enough to give us an opportunity to make it right, to add substance to our words and our lives. God is waiting to see whether we would give him a small offering of what He has so graciously and willing given to us. How disappointed He must be with so many of us who choose the path of self preservation, self indulgence and selfishness.

I have realized that only when we can offer God who we are, and really give it; that we can offer anyone else anything else and actually give it. We need to stop perpetuating the lie that has been the vow, the empty promise that gives nothing to God and to others. Instead try saying little and being about the Father's business, doing what He desires of us. Try submitting to Him and yielding all to Him everyday, so when we are asked to give to individuals it is not just our words that are heard but our actions that are seen!