Summertime and the Living is Easy

Summertime, and the Living is Easy

 “Then He spoke to them a parable: "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.” Luke 21:30-31

I love this song; it makes me feel rested and enjoying the warmth of summer and a more laid back time after the cold of winter fades away.  The first verse has this line, “Fish are jumping and the cotton is high.”  Can’t you envision laying on your back by the river with a cane pole and seeing fields of cotton in the distance?   For some reason you know it’s going to get better.  Listen to this verse “One of these mornings, you’re gonna’ rise up singing.  You spread your wings and take to the sky”!  Is this exciting or not? Jesus is coming back for you and me and I’m going to be ready.

I remember the days that were easy when I lay in the sun at the beach and my children played in sand beside me.  We had a thermos full of lemonade and a bag of chips and maybe a few peanut butter sandwiches.  Those were the lazy days of summer.  It reminds me of some of my favorite things like strawberry shortcake, ice cream cones and hot dogs off the grill.  I probably didn’t think of anything else at the time, except my pleasures of the moment.  It is also easy to fall into a pattern of laziness in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Summer is the time that we go on vacations and picnics and forget about church on Sundays.  It’s when we also take a vacation from God. Not only do we stay away from church, but we don’t think about paying our tithes.  We still have to pay our bills even if it is summer, but we think we can opt out of tithes.  What do you think God thinks about that? 

Tithes are not given to make a payment to God, but tithes are a way to honor God and be blessed.  “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed you?' In tithes and offerings.” Malachi 3:8.  Now, did you realize you are a thief? These are pretty strong words, but I didn’t write them; these words come from God, himself.

You give, you get.  Maybe you don’t understand this, so let’s read on as it is explains.  “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, And try 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 such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.” Malachi 3:10.  Not only will God bless you financially, but in all ways.   I always like to add this verse with Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”

To put it more simply, in Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.”  The truth is that God wants to bless us, but we also need to bless God. I learned as a child that if you have a dollar, you must give 10% to God.  That’s only 10 cents of a dollar.  I would never dream of not tithing. And if I couldn’t be at church some Sunday, I will make it up the following Sunday.

I’m not telling you something I haven’t tried myself.  God has blessed me in so many ways, I can’t count them. I can tell you story after story how God has blessed my giving and he wants to bless you the same way.  Maybe you should try it. 

“Summertime and the Living is Easy” if you share it with God. Don’t rob God so you can spend more on your own pleasure. God really wants to bless you!