A Daily Devotional with Pastor Doug Crouse May 17, 2018Trustworthy Scripture Reading – Luke 16:10 - 11 (NLT) "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?" 

Tell me, what do you do when driving away from the pay window at the drive thru, you discover that they have given you a dime too much. Do you say: 'Praise God', or do you go back and say: 'Excuse me, but this ten cents belongs to you'? When I have been shortchanged in this manner I will usually say nothing, but when even an extra penny comes into my hand, I am careful to give it back.

Someone might say, 'that makes no sense - it just doesn't matter'. But I would reply, 'It makes perfect cents....smile....to me'.

For we are serving the One who knows: each star by name, what we need before we come to Him, the very hairs on our head are numbered, as well as the cents that come into our hands and how we choose to disperse them. When we understand this it makes sense to make all of our cents accountable before the One who will count us as, 'Trustworthy' if we choose to be and to do so.

Very good even still close to income tax time to remember that Jesus told us to pay to the government what belongs to the government and to pay to God what belongs to God. For if we are honest in this way with worldly riches, which God so closely connects and rightly so to our hearts deepest desires, which He sees and evaluates - then the promise is that we will be trusted with eternal things that will last forever.

And yes, if we are faithful, even to a fault (if that were possible) in the little things, we will be entrusted with more. I remember the story of a person who while making $200 weekly learned the principle of tithing or giving the first ten percent to God. That was of course $20 a week. He became blessed and made over a million dollars a year, but fell behind in the ten percent giving. When God confronted him in his spirit, the man replied, 'but that tithe would cost me over $140,000 annually', to which the Lord responded, 'would you prefer that you made $200 weekly, so you only would have to tithe $1040 a year?' 

Prayer Father, examine my heart, motivations, attitudes and actions by Your Spirit, and make me faithful in even the little things I pray in Jesus name. 

Memory Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:16 - 18 NLT “Always be _______. Never stop ________. Be _________ in all _____________, for this is God’s _____ for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”