I am Dad, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says Dad.
“But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’
“Should people cheat Dad? Yet you have cheated me!
“But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’
“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says Dad, “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! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says Dad. “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says Dad..... MALACHI 3:6-12
Is this REALLY possible and what might it look like if, in doing our part, Dad were to throw open the flood gates of Heaven to the point of us having no room for all the blessing. Let’s envision it for a second in regards to money and the problem of poverty.
Imagine this writing as a court setting. The prosecution, the Enemy, has claimed nothing can be done about poverty. The defense, Dad, claims the opposite such as in Scripture above. As in a trial, the defense only has to prove reasonable doubt. So in this defense, I am not saying we will totally eradicate poverty, but rather, COULD WE…..reasonable doubt. To present this possibility, I will present the United States as exhibit.
When I was in sales, I was told nothing is as convincing as numbers. Therefore, I will resort to those to provide this defense. I also admit that as numbers can be questionable at times depending on who you ask, nevertheless, remember I am only presenting reasonable doubt potential. Given that…..
The current U.S. population is nearly 311 million with an average household size of 4 which gives us roughly 78 million households. The average household income is $22,000. The percentage of households considered to be living in poverty is nearly 10%, but this number is realistically higher as nearly everyone knows how far an average household income of $22,000 goes in today’s economy for a household of 4.
With the numbers above, if we took up a collection controlled by honest people and every household gave 10% of their income to it, the total would be 171 billion, 600 million dollars! If we were then to divide that evenly into amounts of $22,000 and then redistribute (I know, that is a dirty word in the American vocabulary today;-) it to the households living in poverty, we would nearly wipe out poverty itself. With some of the households already having some income and, as a result, not needing the full $22,000 to come out of poverty, we could virtually wipe out poverty across the board and this is just in the U.S. Imagine if the whole world caught on to and participated in this concept!
Now again, I know this is idealistic and probably won’t ever happen, but I am just presenting the potential that it could happen…..reasonable doubt, to rebuke the enemy’s claim of impossibility in defense of Dad’s claim in the Scripture above.
Now with that being a vision of the “forest”, lets take a look at one of the “trees” of the forest. My wife, Liz, is moved by Dad to go to Ethiopia in May to serve as a small part of the solution to poverty in that country. $2500 will get her there and allow her to take extra to assist in purchasing medical supplies and such while there. If in between now and then, 100 people will respond to Dad moving them to donate $25 to the cause, that stirring on the part of Dad in Liz can become a reality. Of those who read this, many can give the $25, some more, some less, all can pray and spread the word, and everything counts.
The site where you can donate is also offering some neat gifts in exchange for support, so you can even get something tangible out of it in addition to being a part of a relief effort on behalf of our Ethiopian brothers and sisters. Stirrings and interactions as such are often what prompts Dad to throw open the flood gates of Heaven. Read the Scripture above again and think about it.
In conclusion, both a forest and tree concerning poverty has been presented as possible. With that, I ask you as a child of Dad’s upon reading this to meditate on it, pray, listen to what Dad is stirring you to do…..and then do it!
With that…..the defense rests.
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