"Power and Reward"

"Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:" (Psalms 148:9)

  Maybe it is just too soon to know, but there are people that are being pressed to make some very real and life-changing decisions. All I can say, if you are listening; whatever you decide, make sure that it counts on the Lord and not upon the world! Sometimes it is just too easy to take the side or way which has the most visible resources. I know this from experience, so don't think I am just speaking out of thin air. Even when we are trusting God for leading and guiding our life decisions, we can be fooled and tricked into making the wrong choices; it is really all a matter of interpretation on His Word, because there is the way that points to God, and the way that points to the world. Case in point, would be when Jesus was tempted by devil in the wilderness; each and everything that Jesus was tempted with, it was something to be looked at or seen. The rocks to make into bread; the cliff to test God's power; and the ownership of the world, for an easy way out. Oddly enough, these three things were also related to the three areas of sin that caused Eve to give in to eating the forbidden fruit. But Jesus, who not only knew the Word, He was the Word; He had the perfect answer to destroy the argument and to make the devil flee away! The one thing the God has asked up to test Him on, is the giving of our tithes and offerings. What makes that different from throwing ourself off a cliff, so that He might save us? Well, for one, He has not asked us to throw ourselves off of a cliff; so why would we want to test Him in that regard? It is really much more thrilling when you cannot see how it is going to turn out; you just trust and obey, letting God take care of all the particular details. The more we think about all the details, the more we question how it's going to get done...

""The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the LORD'S name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love."" (Isaiah 55:10-13) NLT