Gold and Silver

      I have had trouble most of my life in regard to having the money that I wanted in order to live the way I wanted to live.  When I got on my own and had joined the U. S. Navy, I soon learned that $80.00 a month didn't go too far.  I would start out the month having a blast during the first week and then suffered the rest of the month.  Now, the government provided all of my meals and a place to sleep so I was well taken care of.  Going to the base store and the Gedunk, a small café for enlisted sailors, soon took a toll on the rest of my monthly salary.    Of course, you could always borrow $5.00 for $8.00 but that got a tad expensive.  After we were married, I soon discovered what a budget was and how to make one   Haggai 1:8 says  "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts."  

     Now, God owns it all.  That's obvious.  There is nothing that isn't His in the first place.  Every now and then it gets reapportioned to those who have specific needs.  God is not going to take care of my frivolous living, but He will meet all of my genuine needs.  He provided me with opportunities to work.  This was especially true when I went to Washington Bible College.  God gave both my wife and myself a part time job.  Veteran's benefits helped with the education bill and other believers did marvelous things for us during those years.  I often see advertisements for loans to help you to the end of the month but the interest is worse than my five for eight dollars.  While we look at this verse from the Book of Haggai, we soon come to realize that God does "own it all."  He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and here he owns the silver and the gold.  If you find yourself in a pinch then you can find help from God Himself.  Just make sure that you are not having a problem with sin that is causing your shortage.  Expensive habits take you away from God as you are trying to replace Him with things or with feelings that are the result of sinful living.  In the end, we need to be loving the Lord our God with all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our mind and with all of our strength.  Once you find yourself doing these things, you will also find your cup running over.  Praise God that He supplies all of our needs and not all of our wants.