"...return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty. But you ask, ‘How are we to return?" Malachi 3.7
In order to have the Lord return to you, you must return to Him. How do you return to Him?
Through prayer? Attending church services? Reading the Bible?
This can be compared to a relationship of two people who are dating.
A phone call, a date or an email is enough to satisfy either person in the relationship.
They have no serious commitment or obligation to one another.
Tithes and offerings are the beginning of a committed relationship with God because they represent fidelity and love.
"...though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him..." Hebrews 5.8-9
Learning obedience has a high price.
If the Son of God, who was an obedient servant, had to pay the price by suffering, then imagine what we must suffer as well.
Denying the will of the flesh to obey the voice of the Holy Spirit hurts. But this is the price of obtaining eternal salvation of the soul.
"...unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it produces much grain." John 12.24
We are a grain of wheat. Unless we die to our will and the world, we will remain fruitless and alone.
But if we die, we will produce many fruits for the Glory of God.
Supernatural faith sacrifices in favor of the Lord Jesus.
"You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?" Galatians 5.7
Christians in Galatia had been set free from the shackles of Jewish doctrines. They were doing well in the faith.
But because they listened to their "brethren", they became shackled again.
This is the biggest risk faced by those who are new in the faith.
Instead of continuing in the same faith that set them free, some Christians allow themselves to be influenced by the "brethren" whose lives are a complete failure.
"But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Matthew 6.15
The law of forgiveness is inflexible. There is no way around it.
Either you forgive and are forgiven, or you do not forgive and will not be forgiven.
It is up to each person to decide whether to forgive or not and it's their obligation as well.
Those who do not forgive are condemning themselves.
"...but one thing I do, FORGETTING those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead..."
Philippians 3.13
Women are in a constant war with their hearts. It always reminds them of their sad past, trying to divert their attention.
But, we know that life and it's accomplishments depend on faith. However, faith has one basic rule: it requires you to put your past behind you forever.
"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" Matthew 16.26
If you try to gain the world, your soul can only take delight in this until you are about 70, or maybe even 80, if you still have the strength. However, most of these years will be of tiresome work and grief, because everything passes quickly.
But what happens when your physical body dies?
What will happen to your soul?
The wise man does not invest his faith in a life with limits.
On the contrary, he gains by investing his wisdom, vision and faith into his eternal life.
