Proper Use of Blessings

Scripture: You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, the jewelry made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them. And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense before them. Also the food I provided for you - the flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat - you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign Lord. Ezekiel 16:17-19

Observation: Everything we have comes from God, and everything we do with those things is a response to God's love. How we use his gifts - not just talents and spiritual gifts, but the practical blessing bestowed upon us in this life - is a reflection of our attitude toward God himself.

Application: To this day, I carry a $1 bill in my wallet that I will never spend. It is a reminder that the blessings of this world, including even money "I earn", is not my own, but it belongs to God. He has given it to me, and he can therefore tell me what to do with it. If I believe in Jesus as my Lord and savior, then obedience is an attitude I must possess.

I need to remember that this obedience extends beyond money, but to all elements of my life. It applies to my home, my job, my children, my marriage, my clothes, my food, etc. All these things are to be used for God's purposes, because he gave them all to me in the first place. If I use them for my purposes - and especially if I use them in greedy or sinful ways - this is a double offense to God ... I have not just offended God, but have used what is his to do it.

Prayer: Lord, you have SO richly blessed my life. I seek to do more than just obey basic commandments about money, and not just to use these blessing for your will, but to also avoid offending you in any way by misusing my worldly blessings.