Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV) 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
We’d like to share a little story with you that came from one of our longtime readers, friends and supporters..
So many times, when someone comes to us with financial trouble, our first instinct is to give to them, in order to get them through their trouble. But we have learned that this is not always the answer.
We’ve learned over the years that, many times, the best way to help them for the long term is to teach them to give out of their need. As they give, this teaches them how to trust God with their finances and sets them on a path of lifelong provision.
So, here is the AWESOME testimony from that couple who was in this very situation several years ago:
“Our first question my husband and I had was, “do we tithe on the gross income or what we take home?” And Pastor Curt’s reply to us was, it can be either, whatever we feel God wants us to do. We decided it will be whatever comes into the house.
So we started giving 10% of all money that came into our house to Seven Seas Ministries. It wasn’t much at first, but we stuck with it.
I remember that first end of the year statement we got. It may not have been much, but I felt so wonderful that we stuck to it and were able to help someone else.
We always seemed to have just enough money to tithe and get by. Slowly, my husband would get a raise or have a bunch of overtime, and I would get a raise or a better paying job. As we got more, we gave more.
A few years ago, Pastors Curt and Ellie directed my husband and me to make a “wish list”, a list of the things that we would like for God to do in our lives.
I remember a few things on that list. To have my A/C in my car fixed (or a new car), my husband added a flat screen TV and a new recliner (his recliner was a hand me down from his dad) and I put….”to be able to give abundantly”.
About 4 years ago we got our flat screen!! Last year I got a job 10 minutes from home that paid well; this enabled us to get a new (fuel efficient) car. Last Christmas I was able to buy a new recliner for my husband. And the best part is that when I did our taxes this year, I tallied up the tithing and all of our various donations throughout the year and it showed that we gave ABUNDANTLY!
I cannot put into words, the feeling that we get from not only being able to give out of obedience to God, but to know that we are helping so many others that are now where we once were. “In God We Trust!!””
If you are struggling with your finances, we encourage you, today, to take a step of faith and follow the example of this couple. As their testimony said, they started out small, and God helped them grow to be able to “give abundantly”!
Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808
401-315-0902
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