The Joy of Tithing

In Malachi 3:8-10 (NLT), our Heavenly Father said: “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” This is a great passage of scripture that helps us understand the practice and principle of tithing. 

Acts 20:35 tells us that Jesus Christ declared that it is more blessed to give than to receive. When we place tithing, giving back to God, in this light, we can’t help but to think of tithing as a joy and blessing. Tithing is when you give 10% of your money to God. As Christians, we must understand that everything we have is a blessing from God, from the smallest thing, like a piece of clothing, to the greatest, like life and the air we breathe. It all comes from God, and He blesses us with these things because He loves seeing us happy and fulfilled. 

God set up the universe and everything in it to work by His laws. One of those laws is Giving equals Receiving. Jesus Christ said in Luke 6:38 (NLT): "Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give—large or small—will be used to measure what is given back to you.” God wants us to know that when we give, it opens the door for us to receive.This is the way His law works. 

Not only do we rob God when we do not tithe, we are refusing to open up a channel for His blessings to come into our lives. We are refusing to cooperate with the laws He has set up to run the universe. 

Leviticus 27:30 (NLT) says: “One-tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord and must be set apart to him as holy.” Some people might think that because this is an Old Testament verse, it doesn't apply to us living today. As New Testament believers, under the covenant of God's grace, we should do more than those living during Old Testament times. Our hearts should be such that we want to give back to God in whatever way we can. We should be jumping at the bit to show our gratitude and thanks to Him for Jesus Christ, and for all the good things He has blessed us with through Christ. 

So, in conclusion, have a big heart that wants to sow into God's Kingdom. Never take it lightly, because it can make a big difference in your life. It demonstrates your obedience, love, honor, and thankfulness towards God, and it also shows your faith in Him. 

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“The Joy of Tithing”, written for aheartforchristdevotions@blogspot.com by Kraiapril©2025. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

What Does It Really Mean to Be Saved?

Sometimes people get confused about what it means to be saved or born again through the Lord Jesus Christ. You might hear things like, “You have to get baptized,” or “You have to follow all the rules at church.” Those things are important, but they don’t actually save us. The truth is, there’s only one real way to be saved, and it’s something that God told us in His Word.

In Romans 10:9-10 (NLT), it says, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” We can see from this passage that it is all about what you believe in your heart. Jesus has already done everything for us, and all we have to do is trust in Him.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT) tells us, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He wanted us to be His children, so He sent His Son, Jesus, to save us. The great thing about salvation is that it’s not a gift we can earn. God freely gives this gift to us when we truly believe from the deepest part of our hearts that He raised Jesus from the dead. And then, we need to openly say with our mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord!

So, if you’ve ever wondered if you’re saved or not, remember this simple truth: believing in Jesus and trusting that He’s the way to God is all it takes to become God’s child. It’s not about being perfect, but about having faith in the One who is perfect. God has already offered us the best gift ever through Jesus Christ, which is His love and forgiveness. All we need to do is say, “Yes, I believe! I accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of my life!”

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.   

“What Does It Really Mean to Be Saved?”, written for aheartforchristdevotions@blogspot.com by Kraiapril©2025. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

Obeying God’s Word

In school and everything else in life, it seems like we have to comply with so many rules. The Bible is filled with God’s promises and wisdom. It also has God’s rules, regulations, and commandments. Some people think that it is tough to obey His Word, especially when it comes to things like not being lazy. A lot of times, we just want to chill or avoid doing what we know we should. But no matter what the task is, we’re called to obey God and follow His Word.
 John 14:15 and 21 (NLT) tells us that Jesus Christ said“15 If you love me, obey my commandments. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”These verses are pretty clear. They tell us that when we obey God’s Word, it’s like showing Him how much we love Him. And when we love Him, He shows up in our lives in amazing ways.
 
So, the bottom line is that no matter what God asks us to do, whether it’s something big or small, it is always worth obeying. This will always open the door to God’s blessings. When we follow His Word, we grow in our relationship with Him and learn more about how awesome He is.
 
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.                                                                                                                
“Obeying God’s Word”, written for aheartforchristdevotions@blogspot.com by Kraiapril©2025. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

Being Thankful

 

God loves a thankful heart, and He even tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” But sometimes, it’s hard to be thankful, especially when we ask God for something and it doesn’t turn out the way we expected. For example, maybe you don’t feel thankful for the home you have because it’s not as big as you want it to be. But the truth is, you should be really grateful you even have a home because so many people don’t. We can’t get upset just because the things God gives us don’t meet our expectations. God knows what’s best for us, and He’s perfect in every way. He knows exactly what we need, even when we don’t.

Sometimes the reason we aren’t getting more blessings is because we’re not thankful for what we already have. Ephesians 5:20 (NLT) says, “And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Everything we do—how we think, speak, and act—should show thanksgiving to God. The Bible also says in Psalm 84:11 that God withholds no good thing from us. When we truly believe this in our hearts, we become more thankful and grow closer to God. This opens doors to even more blessings. 

Our heart should be filled to overflowing with thankfulness to God. He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice for our sins. Romans 8:32 (NLT) tells us, “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” That shows just how amazing and loving our Heavenly Father is. No matter what happens, no matter how hard things might get, God is always with us. He’s the one who provides for us and keeps us safe, and He will never let us down. So, let's start each day with thankfulness and show God that we love Him with everything we have. 

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Being Thankful”, written for aheartforchristdevotions@blogspot.com by Kraiapril©2025. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!