Dear Brides, Chapter 18. By Grace, it can be confusing to hear, we are FREE of the law at the same time as being encouraged to follow the law! WHAT? you ask. BUT…when you are FREE…when you have given over your life totally to Him, all you will want to do is follow the law, and you will find it a great JOY to do so.
This is a great reminder of the grace that my LOVE has given me. We all have areas of struggle. Even though I tend toward preciseness, and the desire to be correct, most of the time I have no fretting over tithing. Our Love has helped me to do it automatically, as soon as new funds bless me, I can turn around and bless my storehouse. AND He is working on any stinginess left in my heart–cleansing it out! It is so easy to give things, and funds away, above and beyond my tithe.
My friends (and sometimes family) thinks I should be concentrating on making money off of everything in this house that I will not need when I downsize. They want me to sell everything. BUT, my love keeps giving me perfectly timed people who NEED the things I have! PERFECTLY TIMED! I ended up with a queen box spring in my garage, along with an under the bed frame. THE VERY NEXT DAY, a workman at my house told me a story of his son being in trouble and moving home, but he only had a queen mattress from the basement for him, laying on the floor. I laughed and opened my garage…voila! PLUS, he happened to have driven the boss’ truck to work that day–which had room for the box spring! His house was on the way back to his boss’ house.
I have story after story of this…pianos, clothing, dishes, pots and pans, etc…all needed by someone immediately after I remove them from a room in my house!
Our LOVE has a plan if we open our hearts and listen to Him!
When you tend toward perfectionism, the danger is slipping into striving–striving to please the LORD, but striving nonetheless, which is NOT how He wants us to live. We have to give it over to our Heavenly Love. He will call us to the details that matter. Yes, set up a way to tithe that works best for you, and give to your storehouse. Firstfruits giving makes things easy and simple, but when you give your heart over to Him, do not be surprised when giving becomes a JOY, rather than a duty!
“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).
What could be better than to have a new heart place by our heavenly love?!
Let’s pray! My LOVE, help me to be aware quickly when I tend toward striving. Refocus my mind on YOU! Lead me; give me awareness; help me to sense when I am resisting you (or just not noticing your nudge.)
Dearest Brides, when you first begin, it is hard to know where to start. He understands simple! Simply ask Him–GUIDE ME; lead me; change my heart and mind, so that I desire what You desire! Then everything is joy!
This book is different than others. If you let it it will change your life!