jobs

He was driving his young, observant, daughter to school. The sun shined bright in the early morning causing sharp glares all about them. While waiting for the light to turn green his daughter announced, “Daddy look,” as she pointed up in the sky toward the western horizon, “God forgot to turn the moon off this morning after he used it.” A rule her father most likely preached in their household.

The little girl made a cute declaration, but we know the truth is; the moon is always on. And just like the moon, God is always there too. There are times we may not see him though we are desperately looking for his presence. At other times we may only see a sliver of Him in our lives. I think our favorite times are when we see God big, and bright, and fully present in our lives.

But the real test of our faith is moving forward in the darkest times of our lives. Perhaps proceeding slowly, reaching out, grasping for something familiar so we know where we are and where we are going. Knowing full well God is there even though we may not see him. It is in those days that our faith is on exhibit for all to see. Others are most likely watching to see how we cope with a lost job, a lost loved one, or a less than favorable medical report.

Those dark days are not the days our faith is grown, but relied upon to get us through the storm.

Hopefully we filled up our faith tank before this journey begin.

Something that is done by spending time with God in the “things are going great” days. Talking to him on a regular basis, learning his nature, and his character. Being confident He is always there.

³⁸So now I live with the confidence that there is nothing in the universe with the power to separate us from God’s love. I’m convinced that his love will triumph over death, life’s troubles,^[a] fallen angels, or dark rulers in the heavens. There is nothing in our present or future circumstances that can weaken his love. ³⁹There is no power above us or beneath us—no power that could ever be found in the universe that can distance us from God’s passionate love, which is lavished upon us through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One! Rom. 8:38-39 (TPT)

The little girl will continue to grow, and learn. She will study astronomy, and realize the moon is not an object that is turned on or off, but forever present, used, and needed somewhere around the globe. And hopefully she will learn about God, and that He doesn’t waste anything, especially the people He makes.

Believe it or not, there was a time when jobs were posted in a newspaper. A newspaper is a set of thin papers with black ink printed on them, which came off on to your hands, and the paper contained news, ads, and was the social media of the day. One would pour over the listings and usually circled the jobs with red ink which looked promising.

These days, jobs are posted online by individual companies or via websites that advertise opportunities to work. Even with the new ease of finding whose hiring, it can still take a lot of effort and energy getting noticed, in the crowd, and getting your foot in the door.

I have worked 46 years of my life, and I have never had any trouble finding a job. The longest I have been unemployed is four months. One time, after moving to a new city, I found a job in two hours. So am I just lucky? Maybe, but I contribute my success to one simple thing:

Tithing

My first tithe was 10 cents. I was eleven, and had earned a dollar. My parents and my church taught, lived, and preached about tithing. In case you don’t know what tithing is, it is this:

Returning to God the first 10% of your paycheck. It is important to pay the tithe first, and then live on the rest. Yes, it can be difficult to do, especially if times are extremely tough, but I assure you it is worth it. You are returning to God what is his anyway. Tithing tells God, “I trust you.” and a loving father likes to be trusted.

⁸“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings [you have withheld]. ⁹You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, this whole nation! ¹⁰Bring all the tithes (the tenth) into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you [so great] a blessing until there is no more room to receive it. ¹¹Then I will rebuke the devourer (insects, plague) for your sake… Mal.3:8-11 (AMP)

You cannot out give God!

Tithing, and being happy to do it, thrills God, because He loves a cheerful giver. You give the tithe to your local church, or to the ministry where you are getting fed spiritually. Then, if you want to give above your tithes it is called an “offering”.

It all starts by going through the “Help Wanted” section of a newspaper, or website. By asking God for a job isn’t that what you are saying to him? “God, your help is wanted.” Then, when He answers, what better way to thank him every time you hold that paycheck in your hand, but to return back 10%. Come to think of how times have changed, I guess we no longer hold paychecks in our hands either. I miss holding that document that expressed the fruits of my labor. “Thank you God, for your love and faithfulness to provide for me all these years.”