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Likely, you may have asked yourself the same question. There are a lot of different opinions with respect to this often debated and something uncomfortable topic; however, most would be shocked when they actually find out what the word of God says on this matter. As such, we will be exploring different passages starting from the old testament and working our way to the new testament. For only then can we get a full picture on this topic.

Old Testament/Covenant: 

Apart from the few voluntary cases of tithes (i.e. Abraham to Melchizedek, Jacob to God), there are actually 4 different types of mandatory tithes in the Old Testament, namely:

Levitical tithe / Amount 10% (Leviticus 27:30-33; Numbers 18:21-24):

Often referred to as the first tithe. These were required to support the tribe of Levi who had no inheritance within the promised land. Instead only they were chosen from all the tribes of Israel to approach God in the temple which was a much greater privilege/inheritance. Given that there were 12 tribes of Israel, they were collectively able to support the Levitical tribe by each giving 10% of their produce and livestock. Depending on the total population ratio with respect to the tribe of Levi, and the faithfulness of the givers, this arrangement made sure that Levites were able to dedicate themselves fully to the work of ministering at the temple and teaching the people the scriptures without having to worry about the day-to-day demands and mundane pursuits of an agricultural society.

Festival tithe / Amount 10% (Deuteronomy 12:17-19; 14:22-27):

It was required to support the festivals. The giver and his household were actually the ones to partake of this tithe along with the Levites. Interestingly, there was even some provisions within this tithe for alcoholic beverages; thus, I personally prefer to call this the “turn up” tithe. The main purpose of it was to make sure that all of God’s people were enjoying themselves before His presence.

Community tithe / 3.3% (Deuteronomy 14:28-29):

Every 3 years, the nation of Israel was supposed to take a tithe that could be shared amongst the communities less fortunate (i.e. widows, orphans, foreigners). The priest were also allowed to partake of this tithe.

Political tithe / 10% (1 Samuel 8:15-18 ):

When a king was eventually chosen to rule Israel, the prophet Samuel warned the nation of another tithe that would be exacted by the king to support the government services much like taxes. It fed the kings household and officials and possibly the army.

Conclusion: Adding up all these different tithes, you will see that the average Israelite was actually dedicating approximately 33% of their means of living to tithes on an annual basis. Thus, those who actually wish to continue living under the law by stating the 10% mandate is still applicable to us as Christians are actually falling quite short of the mark. As the Apostle Paul wrote:

“For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (Romans 3:20-22)

New Testament/Covenant:

Nevertheless, what implications do these tithes have for Christians? Given that we no longer live under the law, we are actually no longer subject to these tithes; however, there is still a lesson to be learned by all four of them. So let us explore them one by one.

Levitical Tithe:

Given, the elimination of the levitical priesthood, there is no longer a group that makes up ~10% of the Christian congregation and refrained from owning land thus requiring support. Interesting for us to note as well is that the levites themselves did not pay the levitical tithes. The priest didn’t need to tithe because they were sharers in the tithe of the people and sustained by it. In a sense, they actually tithed 100% since all of their possessions belonged to God as sharers with Him. And so He does with us as His royal priesthood. Thus, all we have actually belong to God and we are merely stewards of these resources until our Master returns. (Matthew 24:47)

It could even be said that we as Christians have replaced the levitical priesthood. As the Apostle Peter stated “you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9) As such, all things are now ours through Christ Jesus. (1 Corinthians 3:21-23) Yet, this should be our mindset, “ Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them [aka not using it as if it was their own]. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.” (1 Corinthians 7:31)

In some cases though, it is appropriate to support ministers who are engaged in the preaching work. As the word says,”the laborer is worthy of his wages.” And “do not muzzle an ox as it plows the ground.” The Apostle Paul wrote,“Don’t you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar? Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.” (1 Corinthians 9:13-14) However, even then- there is no scriptural mandate as far as as how much that support should be as he also stated “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)

In giving to support other’s ministry, we would want to avoid either of the following extremes though: 1) having a minister unable to meet their household necessities 2) having a minister buying bentleys and private jets from such support. The purpose of this giving is not for church buildings/organizations/pastors to amass endless amounts of wealth needlessly as we see in some cases in the world today but rather having the necessary provisions to allow them to focus on the more important things and fully carry out their ministry. For what soldier has to pay his own expenses? (1 Corinthians 9:17) With that in mind, we discuss the next type of tithe.

Political Tithe:

First, it is interesting to note that the kings did not pay the political tithes. This reminds me of the following account with respect to temple taxes (an alternate form of required monitory contributions instituted by the religious leaders of Jesus’ day). In the following account, we read:

 “On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the Temple tax?” “Yes, he does,” Peter replied. Then he went into the house. But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, “What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered?” “They tax the people they have conquered,” Peter replied. “Well, then,” Jesus said, “the citizens are free!” (Matthew 17:24-26)

We see here that Jesus came to set us free as citizens of His kingdom from the mandates of the tithe as regulated by the Mosaic law and other traditions of man. In fact, we are inherited into the royal family itself since Jesus “has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”(Revelation 1:6)

As such, we are conscripted into God’s army and thus deserving of support from His government/kingdom as were the Soldier’s inKing David’s army. As the Apostle Paul wrote in a letter to the elder Timothy:

“Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. Athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things (2 Timothy 2:3-6).

Community Tithe:

The principle of community tithe was by far the most visible of all tithes displayed in the early church; yet, it was practiced to a much greater extent as we read in the following passage:

“The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul. Not one of them claimed that anything of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common... For neither was there among them any who lacked, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet, and distribution was made to each, according as anyone had need. Joses, who by the apostles was also called Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, Son of Encouragement), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race, having a field, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”(Acts 4:32, 34-37)

Remember that Jesus Christ came to fulfill the law and help us understand the greater principles behind them much like He did in the teaching on Adultery. (Matthew 5:27-28 )  By those principles found in the community tithe, we as Christians are expected to support those who are in need or less fortunate than we are. The New Testament church wasn’t collecting tithes yet all believers were happy to support one another by means of their voluntary financial contributions. This should be our same sentiments. No one need tell you how much you should give, but what you have desired in your heart. For a heart full of God’s love and grace would want nothing more than to help their fellow brothers and sisters in need. As the Apostle John said, "If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sisterf in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?” (1 John 3:17)

We see another example of this in the book of 2 Corinthians chapter 8 & 9. In this case, one community of believers who were considered privileged in those days (Corinthians) were being encouraged to follow the example of another community of believers who were impoverished (churches in Macedonia). Despite the poor state of the latter, they were cheerfully supporting the community of believers in Jerusalem who were in more dire straits than themselves due to a famine. They were not simply giving as if it was required of them for a tithe but rather by their own volition to meet a particular need that arose. As the Apostle Paul wrote:

“Give in proportion to what you have. Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have. Of course, I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality. Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal. As the Scriptures say, “Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough.”” (2 Corinthians 8:11-15)

Similarly, if there is a need in the church or elsewhere today that requires support from the congregation (whether it be electric bills, mortgage payments, staff salary, disaster relief, etc.), then those needs should be clearly communicated to the congregation for the purpose of receiving such support. Likewise, those who are in need should be able to reach out to the congregation receive similar financial support in return if warranted and meet certain criteria for aide as described in the bible (Read 1 Timothy 5:3-16; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10). Surely, the hearts of spirit filled believers should be quickly moved to meet any needs that would arise in the Body for we are all members of that body. (Ephesians 5:29-30)

That being said, we must be mindful of this cautionary tale about a couple who gave with the wrong intentions, namely:

“But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!”” (Acts 5:1-4)

Again, we see here that it is not how much one gives that is important, but rather what is in the giver’s heart. Even when Ananias & Sapphira got caught lying about how much they had given, the Apostle Peter never told them how much they were suppose to have given. There was no mention of 10%, 20%, 30%, or even 100%. In fact, they probably had already given far more than 10% in this case - perhaps even the majority of the proceeds from the sale; however, their actions were still shown as wicked based on their true intentions for giving (i.e. to look good in front of others). Thus, we should be careful to heed Jesus’ own words on this subject:

 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1-4)

Festival Tithe:

God shows with this tithe that it is okay for us to use some of our resources for our enjoyment. Just because all we have belongs to Him does not mean that we are not to use any of it for personal pleasures. Not to say that we should be hedonist, but God does not ask us to live a life of a stoic either. In all things, there should be balance and moderation. For the wisdom from above is indeed first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and of good fruits, impartial, sincere. (James 3:27)

Consequently, we shouldn’t feel guilty about setting aside funds to do things that are enjoyable to us. Keeping in mind though that we should always be mindful of His presence when engaging in recreational activity so as not to cause our God offense. As the Apostle Paul said, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:31)

In Summary:

Oftentimes though, there is a tendency to delegate the faithful stewardship of our resources solely to the local church. This is often popularized by the following passage from the prophet Malachi which states:

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!” (Malachi 3:10)

Yet, many Christians forget to realize that we ourselves are God’s temple today. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) As such, giving 10% of our money to a local church does not relieves us of our obligation to devote everything to God. This is not to say that this is a bad practice in itself as church budgets often require some sort of regularity for forecasting purposes. Nevertheless, bring all the tithe into the storehouse for us though has a greater meaning for this involves submitting all aspects of our life (i.e. finances, children, relationship, time, leisure activities) to God’s will and direction.

In all, we are supposed to use all of the resources that God has provided to us in a matter fitting of His purposes. So when someone ask,”How much of our money is God’s?”, the proper response should be “all of it.” Not just 10% of our resources but all of it is His given that we are now His special possession as the Levites were. Yet, using all of it for His purposes does not negate us from using part of our resources for things that our enjoyable/pleasurable to us as seen by the Festival tithe. While others portions of it are edicated to the furtherance of His kingdom as seen by the example of the political tithe. Some portions we are to use to meet our basic necessities, while other parts are to be used to support our fellow believers as in the levitical and community tithe respectively. Knowing that none of what we have is ours as managers of God’s provisions should move us to be shrewd with respect to how we use the resources that God has put into our hands.

Although it is important to invest our resources in ministries that have shown themselves faithful, each one who is able to is also encouraged to invest into their own personal ministry. In this way, our Master Jesus may be pleased with the results upon His return. Unlike the parable involving the unfaithful servant who wasted his talent due to his lack of desire to use it fully, we should learn from this and invest our resources in places that will result in Kingdom growth. (Matthew 25:27) So that we may be able to hear Jesus say:

‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together! ’ ... For “to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.” (Matthew 25:21; 29) 

Just finished watching the movie - Soul. As the ending song stated, - it is aaight. Does give good insight about the meaning of life. Namely: life is not so much about completing goals and items off a dream list but rather the comprehensive collection of experiences that ultimately reflect a life well lived. I did find the absence with respect to Jesus Christ in the afterlife scenes a bit troubling; however, I understand why as this film was primarily intended for mass consumption. Therefore, they sadly assumed that referencing - The Way, The Truth, & The life -(John 14:6) would mess up their box office sales. Nevertheless, I would of enjoyed it more if they told the truth, namely: life after death is only possible as a result of the resurrection hope provided by God through His Son Jesus ransom sacrifice.

Proverbs 4:7 says: “Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.”

In some cases, getting understanding may cost you all of your possessions. I remember so many times that I had to abandon plans that I expanded so much energy and resources to build after finding out that it was not God’s will. In fact, even Jesus said, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62) What aspiration, idea, religion, possession, person, occupation, activity or sin is God telling you to let go off right now but you keep looking back to? Don’t be like Lot’s wife...(Luke 17:32)

We are much like trees and we all need a pruning from time to time. God’s intention is to clean you from all those things that are not doing you or others any good so that you can be more fruitful. Jesus said, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:26)

“For Yahweh disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child." (Hebrews 12:6)

Have you ever feel so tired (Physically, mentally, emotionally) that you just felt like giving up?

We all feel like that sometimes, but I just wanted to share something that Jesus said to us that can help you when you feel like that.

Its found in Matthew 11:28-30, where were we read:

Jesus said “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

You see, if you ever feel like you just can’t carry on anymore, just remember that Jesus has promised to help you if you just come to Him.

Whether it be with school, chores, or just how you feel, He has promised to replace without ever you are carrying with his load which is refreshing and light.

What bag are you chasing after right now? The world's bag or Jesus'?

The World's bag/burden represents the following:

 

• Being judgmental/unforgiving
• Pursuit of Riches
• Trying to be popular
• Too much entertainment
• Being a people pleaser
• Not knowing how to say “No"
• Anxiety/Worrying
• Dwelling on past failures/Bad Conscience
• Unconfessed Sin
• Living a Lie (Last but not least. Probably the heaviest weight)

 

There is no bigger burden then carrying the weight of lie on your back. As the poem goes, "what a tangled web we receive when at first we practice to deceive?" If anyone of you are feeling as if you’ve been keeping something that you did that was bad a secret, just know that there is great relief in confessing that bad thing or sin. We are hear to help you for it is says in James 5:14-16:

“Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.”

Those Elders that it refers to hear can also be your parents. I can’t tell you how many times growing up I shared my sins with my mom, even in some cases were I felt that I was deserving of punishment. Please know that the burden that you carry living in dark is so much more than anything you will receive by confessing them. In fact, Satan loves when you live in the dark. He is the creator of the lie and when you live that type of life, you are actually living under his rulership.

It says in Revelation 22:14-15 ERV:

““Great blessings belong to those who have washed their robes. They will have the right to eat the food from the tree of life. They can go through the gates into the city. Outside the city are all those who live like dogs—those who do evil magic, those who sin sexually, those who murder, those who worship idols, and those who love to lie and pretend to be good.”

You see to enter into God’s kingdom, you must confess your sins and turn away from them. The Bible likens it to washing our robes or clothes. How many of us like to walk around in dirty smelly clothes? Raise your hands. How many of us never have clothes that never have to get washed because they never get dirty? Exactly, none of us. We all get dirty at times. In the same way, we all do bad things at times which make us dirty but Jesus came so that we can be washed clean.

King David wrote in Psalms 51:1-17 ERV after he had done something really bad:

“God, be merciful to me because of your faithful love. Because of your great compassion, erase all the wrongs I have done. Scrub away my guilt. Wash me clean from my sin. I know I have done wrong. I remember that sin all the time. I did what you said is wrong. You are the one I have sinned against. I say this so that people will know that I am wrong and you are right. What you decided is fair. I was born to do wrong, a sinner before I left my mother’s womb. You want me to be completely loyal, so put true wisdom deep inside of me. Remove my sin and make me pure. Wash me until I am whiter than snow! Let me hear sounds of joy and happiness again. Let the bones you crushed be happy again. Don’t look at my sins. Erase them all. God, create a pure heart in me, and make my spirit strong again. Don’t push me away or take your Holy Spirit from me. Your help made me so happy. Give me that joy again. Make my spirit strong and ready to obey you. I will teach the guilty how you want them to live, and the sinners will come back to you. God, spare me from the punishment of death. My God, you are the one who saves me! Let me sing about all the good things you do for me! My Lord, I will open my mouth and sing your praises! You don’t really want sacrifices, or I would give them to you. The sacrifice that God wants is a humble spirit. God, you will not turn away someone who comes with a humble heart and is willing to obey you.”

Life is like that. We all get dirty at times with sin which will definitely make you feel like you are going through each day carrying a 100 lb bag on your back unless you confess it.

Are you not tired yet? The longer you chose to carry the unnecessary burdens of the world, the heavier they will be come. Until it weighs you down so much that you are no longer fruitful. Don't waste your life like that.

If you've reached the point that you can no longer go any further, then just lay those burdens at the altar. Give them to Jesus and He will give you rest. He will give you His Load instead which is actually refreshing. You can enter into His kingdom even now by just leaving those old bags at His feet. He will give you His Holy Spirit, and you will in sense be seated with Him even now in the heavenly places. Ephesians 2:4-10 says: 

"But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

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. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Jesus’ Load represents: 

 

• Sharing the Good News with others
• Praise
• Prayer
• Reading God's Word,
• Getting encouragement from our fellow believers
• Viewing yourself through God's eyes
• Forgiving others
• Helping others/Working with your hands
• Seeking First The Kingdom

 

Jesus’ load is light because literally it is just that: He ordained us to carry this light of the good news to the world. And trust me when I say this: the burden of carrying Jesus' light into the world is so much lighter than the burden of continuing to walk in darkness.

God never designed you to live life burdened down. You are His child. You are Princes & Princesses. You are to hold your heads high. You should not view life the same way that those who do not know God.

He has great plans for you, but you have to avoid being burdened down by the loads that the world wants to put on you. Jesus talks about this in a little story called a parable, and I want to go over this with you so pay attention. In Matthew 13:3-9, Jesus told this story:

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

Do any of you what this story means? Thankfully Jesus did not leave us without an explanation, because He goes on to explain this to us in Matthew 13:18-23:

“Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Jesus wants us to be fruitful. But we can’t be if we allow the worries of this life and the lure of wealth distract us.

You see, Jesus gave us the secret to living a truly satisfying life. Would you all like to know this secret?

We can find it in Matthew 6:19-34, where Jesus said:

"Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

“Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Jesus said that if we make serving God the primary purpose of our life, that He would take care of everything else. It doesn’t mean that we don’t have to work and be lazy, rather we should strive to serve others all the more like Jesus did. But we shouldn’t worry or feel as if we need to control everything for it to work out properly. Just know that God got you and he will take care life for you so long as you spend time with him and don’t try to take care of things yourself. God is much bigger, smarter, and wiser than us. So He is in a much better position to carry these loads that we try to. So let Him. Stop trying to be God of your life, but instead let God lead your life. Just walk the path that He has placed in front of your feet with your head held high instead of low loaded down with a bunch of stuff that you shouldn’t have been carrying in the first place.

There are some days that are more difficult and we may need more encouragement. We find that encouragement in God's Word. "Don't be afraid, I am with you." (Gen.26:24) "I'll give you strength." (Psalm 28:7) "I'm with you in times of trouble." (Psalm 34:6) These words of encouragement are just what we need to face the hard times that may come our way.

Is there something weighing heavy on your heart and/or mind right now that you need to leave at Jesus' feet?

If you need somebody to confide in, then please feel free to give me a call at 1-800-YAHWEH-7 EXT 2.

I would love to pray with you and provide counsel from God's word that I am sure would be applicable to your situation. And don't worry, it's all free. For Jesus said, "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!"(Matthew 10:8 )