the four right chords can make me cry

Malachi 3:10
"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 you will not have room enough for it."

We have a good problem on our hands. Our two CGs now have 20 or more people each. When we were praying for science, I honestly didn't see this coming. I feel like the disciples, God said "throw net there" then throw lor, even though it doesn't seem promising by my estimate. And now our boat is sinking. A good problem!

John 21:4-14
Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?"
"No," they answered.
He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.
When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."
Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Human nature: a bit slow to recognise God. Only when they realised how vast a quantity of fish was caught did they realise who that man on the shore was. Sometimes I feel my understanding of God can be a little dimmed, restricted to the narrow scope of my experience. Then stuff happens that makes me go, "It is the Lord!". But in between, just obey.

So don't worry, becks. The net didn't break.

But there's only so far this analogy can be stretched, obviously we do not eat freshies for breakfast. We eat them for dinner!

Anyway. Back to Malachi. The context of the passage was about robbing God. For me tithing is not so much about money, but more of an attitude towards life. Do I recognise that everything I "own" is merely on loan from God, time included? Investing time in my own spiritual walk, spending time with other people.

That there may be food in God's house.

posted by beckyboo @ 12:49 AM