God has a plan for your life, but so does the devil. You choose which plan goes into effect. We implement God's plan for our lives through obedience and faithfulness to His Word. He wants us to do what He tells us to do and to follow His guidance. The devil's plan for your life is put into operation in the same way. When you listen to him and do what he says, you get his plan for your life.

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) The promise of God contains life and abundance, wholeness and shalom. The devil's plan for you is death and destruction. He is a master of deception and he covers his lies with the logic of man.

Over the years I have heard many reasons and excuses from people who did not give tithes, offerings, or alms. Once a man told me that God had spoken to him personally and that he was exempt from tithing until he got all his bills paid. Another lady told me that God understood why her family didn't tithe. She said God knew that she didn't have enough money to tithe and He told her it was okay.

First of all, let me say this. Neither person heard from the Spirit of God. How do I know this? Because God will never tell you to do something that is directly opposed to His Word. If it wasn't God (and it wasn't), it was either their flesh or a demonic spirit. Either way, the result was the same. All these years later, both families are still in poverty. The money they saved (stole from God) by not paying their tithes became a curse and actually brought on poverty and prevented them from qualifying for the blessing of God.

So here is the conclusion. Actually it is quite simple. We implement God's plan for our lives by listening to Him, saying what He says, and acting on His Word. That's called obedience. We implement the devil's plan for our lives by listening to him, saying what he says, and acting upon his words. The result is disobedience to God.

Obedience to God opens the door to The Blessing.

Devotion 0471