Friday 20 February 2015

Financial Blessing Requires Careful Planning

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES
Financial Fitness
 
Play Today's Broadcast
 
 
 
Financial Blessing Requires Careful Planning
Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest   Email
By Rick Warren — Feb 19, 2015
 
Devotional image from Rick Warren
 
 
“Plan carefully and you will have plenty.”(Proverbs 21:5a TEV)
If you want to be financially strong, you need to start writing down what you spend until you know where it’s all going. This is the principle of accounting. You’ve got to keep track of your finances!
Proverbs 21:5 says, “Plan carefully and you will have plenty” (TEV). If you don’t have plenty, you’re not planning carefully. You don’t have anybody to blame but yourself.
You may say, “But I had this emergency!” Everybody has emergencies. Everybody gets laid off or has unexpected expenses. The difference between the people who make it through and those who don’t is how they planned for those emergencies. If you don’t expect them, of course you’re going to be devastated by them.
Have you ever made it to the end of the month and wondered, “Where did all my money go?” Ignorance of your financial condition plus easy credit equals disaster. You’ve heard that phrase, “Money talks.” It does not. It just walks away quietly, and it doesn’t tell you where it’s going. So you have to keep good records so you know where your money is going.
Here are four things you need to keep good records of: what you own, what you owe, what you earn, and where it’s going. There are several ways to budget, and you need to figure out which one is best for you. You need to get online, get into your bank, get to your accountant’s office, get into your books — whatever it takes to get on track and understand your money so that it works for you and not against you.
Proverbs 23:5 says, “Your money can be gone in a flash, as if it had grown wings and flown away like an eagle” (TEV). That’s a pretty descriptive picture. If you don’t know where your money is going, it’s just going to fly away like an eagle.
Fortunately, the U.S. government is kind enough to remind us by putting an eagle on every dollar bill. So every time you look at that bill, let it be a reminder that it’s going to fly away unless you tell it where to go.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over
  • Are you on the same page as your spouse when it comes to your finances and how much you both know about them? Why is it important that your finances are a joint effort?
  • What steps do you need to take today to be able to better track and allocate your money?
  • How do you want God to bless you financially? How are you being faithful to him with your finances?
Meditate on the Word
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed.”
(Joshua 1:8, NLT)
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
To meditate on something simply means to think about it and let the meaning of it sink deep down into your heart. Meditation is a spiritual practice that’s encouraged throughout the Bible. The key is to draw on God’s wisdom found in the Scriptures, which are filled with the blessings and benefits of meditating on its principles. For example, meditating on God’s Word will give you spiritual success. That’s exactly what God told Joshua as Israel got ready to enter the Promised Land.
God’s definition of success in life is to know Him better. One way you can do that is to read and understand His Word. Another benefit of meditating on God’s Word is that it will help you keep your heart right before Him. The Bible is like a mirror that accurately shows you where your heart really is.
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
God, You have said that Your Word is living and active. Today I will spend time allowing this living Word to search my heart, and make sure I am right before You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
PS... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgrlIcdGHn4

No comments:

Post a Comment