Borrowing from God
Another story from Youth Prays—God Answers.
John and Joan had four little children. In this modern age of high-cost-of-living and the demands that are ever present, we sometimes can not afford some of the “wants” that our families would like. John worked for a very fine many who sold house-trailers. When a sale was made it is up to John to hook the trailer to his truck and haul it to wherever the customer wanted it. He may be on the road for several hours, or he may be away from home for several days. But he accepted his work cheerfully, grateful to a loving God for His protection and constant care of his family.
Now there was a time when business seemed to slacken somewhat, and these two Christian parents, who had always paid a faithful tithe, seemed to forget a certain rule that God made for all His children. This rule says “Prove Me now…” Malachi 3:10. It also says, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse.” But instead of proving God, they decided to work things out in their own way, and they would “borrow” some of the tithe money; just for a while they would not pay a full tithe.
Things did not get any better. The little that was “borrowed” did not seem to help a bit, and the next pay check just would not stretch over all their needs. And so it went on.
About this time the young people were beginning another series of classes on the prayer of reception. Although John was not able to attend because of the uncertainty of his working hours, Joan made up her mind that she would be there whenever possible and she received much encouragement. By this time business and other problems had come to the place where something just had to be done about it. One evening John and Joan made a very important decision. From the next pay cheque all the tithe would be paid, present and past, and they would prove God and let Him take care of the future.
“The Lord has compassion upon us in our fallen condition, and accompanies His commands with promises,” wrote the Lord’s messenger. “He calls upon His people to prove Him, declaring that He will reward obedience with richest blessings” (Southern watchman February 14, 1905)
True to their word, John and Joan paid back every penny they had so foolishly “borrowed” from God. Then they knelt together to claim His promise in Malachi 3:10, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse,… and prove me now herewith, says the Lord of hosts, if I will no open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
And true to His promise, God began to reward their obedience with rich blessings. When John was handed his next pay cheque he had to look at it a second time. Was it enough to cover all their needs? It certainly was, for it contained, not twice the usual amount, but three times what he had been receiving! The Lord had tripled his income! God had also strengthened their faith in claiming other Bible promises, and helped them to get better acquainted with the “Giver of all our blessings.”