Joyce McCullough tells us about her sister's thoughts:

“How can I possibly feed my family this month if I also pay my tithe to the church?”

"My sister, Debbie, sat at the kitchen table mulling over her grocery list. Times were tough. (Google image, Wallet on Bible)

She had been forced to cut back on her hours at work after the birth of her second child, and a flexible mortgage rate now required a higher house payment for the last several months.

Debbie walked down her long driveway to the mailbox to relieve tension and pray about her dilemma.

She firmly believed God’s payment should come first.

After prayerful consideration she mentally reduced her grocery list to only the barest necessities.

The family had often followed Dave Ramsey’s advice of eating beans and rice, and they could do it again.

With her resolve strengthened through prayer, Debbie opened her mailbox to find an unexpected envelope from the IRS.

Inside was a check for exactly one dollar more than she needed to pay her tithe. An accompanying letter explained she had overestimated her tax from two years before.

In Biblical times the grain from the soil and the fruit from the trees was a man’s income.

God instructed the Levites to give of this income so they could become holy and pleasing to Him.

Are our lives holy and pleasing to God in today’s society?

Perhaps if we made God and His church our first priority, we would reap a greater harvest.

When we put God first in our lives, he takes care of all our needs.

God will bless us for living holy lives.

The next time you make out your grocery list, check to see if it contains more wants than needs.

If you have put God first with your time, tithe and talent, you will be surely blessed!

"A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord." Leviticus 27:30

Putting God First Joyce McCullough

April 30, 2013

Joyce McCullough teaches Honors English at
Coffee County Central High School in Manchester, Tennessee.

She is active in her church and community and enjoys playing the piano, attending book club meetings, and reading to her nieces.

She has been a freelance writer for the past fifteen years for numerous publications including Alive, The Cumberland Presbyterian, and Focus on the Family.

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[Google images added]

Used by permission www.christiandevotions.us

Let’s pray:

Father, I know there will be times that I may be tempted to not trust You with my finances, but please help me be careful to come to You about them, so answers can be made plain. I ask for grace to always put You first in every situation in my life. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Today’s Scripture:

The Lord's prayer Matthew 6; Luke 11

Today’s quote:

~ Max Lucado – “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. God is leading you! Leave tomorrow’s problems until tomorrow!”

Our thought today:

Some people are so committed to God, they’ll not give up, but have determination to obey what He wants them to have, and to do.

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