Everyone loves money

Today was an interesting day, I listened to my podcast as I walked to school and then started my journaling session. What was surprising was that both my journal and the Podcast both related to FINANCES. Finances is something that all of us deal with, money makes this world go around, but God has a different twist on the way the world looks at money. I heard this message by Perry Noble on Money. He says that 16 out of the 28 parables are about money!
So my journey started off here in Malachi 3 and just a couple of verses into it God asks a profounding question, "Should a person rob God?"
Well this question kind of irritates you, or at least it does for me. I was raised in church and was always preached by my parents, "Remember to take 10% for your tithes." As a kid i really just wanted to say HECK NO! I didn't understand the principle that my parents were trying to instill in my life. Well I have to thank my mom and pops for that valuable lesson that I will cherish and instill in my family one day. As I got older and started sweating for my money I also noticed something else, and here is a confession, "It started getting harder to TITHE!" Just because my paychecks were getting larger and larger (yeah right) my hand held my money tighter and tighter. Today I realized the many times that I robbed God. Several times that I missed giving my tithes, or didn't give when I should've, but before I get all down I'll never forget how God came through for me. See I have given tithes and I still do, but I remember my biggest check that I ever received. I honestly didn't want to give all my tithe because that would be almost $100. I wrestled with God, and finally he challenged me to give, not just 10% but 15% and guess what I was OK with that. I really didn't see any fruit but in His time God blessed me, double of what I tithed. I stood there with a new check and I remember telling God thanks because He kept his promise.
There is something that Perry Noble says in his message, "God doesn't need your money, you need Gods blessing!" this is so true, we need Gods blessing for our lives. If we trust God with our money, we will see more of Him in our lives.