day no. 15,280: test me!

Last night at dinner (1/5/20), I was showing the kids our family checkbook and talking about the past year in finances, what God provided, what we gave back, how we are faring and where we are going and how we hope to get there. We recently dubbed our budget, "Operation: Fiscal Jackhammer." So I laid out the basics that we always have enough. We don't have more than we need, but we never go without. God keeps His promises to us and as we are committed to giving our first and best to Him, He promises to take care of all our needs. We never go hungry or without heat in the winter or a/c in the summer. We have clothes on our backs, books in our hands and fuel in our vans. God is good and we are grateful. 

Finneas then made the following observation. He said, "It's like those toys in the store that say, 'test me."" And I could not have agreed more. I had referenced Malachi to the kids in paraphrasing the following...

Malachi 3:10-12
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts.Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.

The toys in the aisle have a button that says, "test me." Why? Because they are convinced that when you see how the toy works, you will want to possess it. You will want that toy for yourself now that you see what it does and how it works and that it works when you push the button. God, in similar fashion, is begging His children as they pass by to "test Him." Bring the full tithe to Him, your first and your best and watch and see if when you push the button if He does not provide everything you need: contentment, gratitude, appreciation, etc... Enjoying what you have is not a given (Ecc. 2:24-25). It is a gift from God. Test Him by bringing Him your first and your best and you will see Him work. You will see what He does and as a result, you will want to do so more and more. You won't be content to leave Him on the shelf somewhere surrounded by a thousand other options. You will want Him, in particular to be yours.

I love listening to my kids process God's Word and for the insights they provide by interacting with His promises around the dinner table.