“The offering is God’s best test of obedience.” - Joyce Meyer

What a true statement! If you will not trust the Lord with your money, will you trust Him with your life? Of course, money is the central focus of our lives because it represents our time, effort and talents. Money is a mere unit of exchange. We exchange our time for money. We exchange our abilities for money. The more talent and ability we have, the more money we have; assuming we also devote the time necessary to fully use our talents and abilities.

We have all heard that money is the root of all evil. This is one of those scriptures taken out of context, or used incompletely. “The love of money is the root of all evil” (I Timothy 6:10). Money is not harmful. It can achieve much good. The love of money is harmful.

This brings me to the thought, “what is your addiction?” Here, as Brother Tom Underwood says, I will begin to meddle. We are not tempted in our areas of strength. I am not tempted to seek out a drug dealer and buy whatever he is selling. But I am tempted in other areas, as we all are. Frequently, that temptation is from something that is not harmful, like drugs. Maybe our addiction is to something that does good . . . . like food . . . . or money.

Our areas of weakness are where the Lord allows Satan to test us. If we fail the test, we get to take it again, and again. Personally, I am tired of some of my tests, and it is about time that I passed that particular test or trial, so that I can move forward.

The offering is one way of honoring the Lord, because with it we are giving a portion of our lives to the Lord. If you honor the Lord, He will bless you. I have written earlier of how we reap what we sow, whether good or bad. The blessings of the Lord are not instantaneous. If we do good, pennies do not immediately fall from Heaven. The blessings accrue.

It is perhaps easier to see the blessings of the Lord on a national scale. Those nations that honor the Lord are blessed. Those that do not, are not. Throughout Europe there are churches. Europe was Christian. They did honor the Lord. In England I believe every village has a church. I have seen small villages of perhaps forty homes that had a nice, stone church with stained-glass windows. Perhaps that is why England ruled much of the world at one time.

Consider Africa or China. Until European Christians sent missionaries, China and the nations of Africa were pagan. They did not honor the Lord. These are among the poorest and most undeveloped nations of the world. I believe there is a personal lesson for each of us here.

Of course, America was settled and founded on the principals of honoring God. Certainly, we are the most blessed of all nations. But just as the blessings of the Lord do not begin in an instant, they do not cease in the same manner. The decrease of the Lord’s blessing accrues also. Now, America does not honor God. He has already and will continue to withdraw His blessing from our land.

I pray that you will honor the Lord in all ways. I pray that our nation will turn from its ways and honor God that He may restore His blessing to us. “Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.” (I Samuel 2:30).