Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Chronicles 31:10

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Chronicles 31:10
"And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, and said, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat, and have left plenty: for the Lord hath blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store."

This verse made me think of Malachi 3:10
"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

In the April 1986 LDS Conference talk "The Law of the Fast" by Elder L. Tom Perry he quoted President Romney in saying.

"I am thoroughly in harmony with what the Bishop said about our need to contribute liberally to the fast-offerings fund and to every other fund that the Church officially calls upon us to contribute to. I am a firm believer that you cannot give to the Church and to the building up of the kingdom of God and be any poorer financially. I remember a long time ago, over 50 years, when Brother [Melvin J.] Ballard laid his hands on my head and set me apart to go on a mission. He said in that prayer of blessing that a person could not give a crust to the Lord without receiving a loaf in return. That's been my experience. If the members of the Church would double their fast-offering contributions, the spirituality in the Church would double. We need to keep that in mind and be liberal in our contributions." (Welfare Agricultural Meeting, 3 Apr. 1971, p.1.)

I sat and pondered on giving a crust to the Lord and receiving a loaf in return. I have been so blessed. Each time I increase my fast offerings I find my blessings have doubled. I remembered a conversation with a bishop's wife and she said that he gave a generous fast offering equal to a dinner out, not a meal at home. This came home to me one week when our family ordered take out the Saturday before Fast Sunday. It so happened it was the second time our family had eaten out that week. I totalled what the cost was and considered it against what I had been giving the Lord. It took faith to follow the impression to match the cost of those meals against my fast offering. It was also that Fast Sunday I decided to just fast for joy, with gratitude for the blessings I have already been given. It was one of the most memorable fasts of my life. It has now set my standard. When you give a loaf you get a full course meal in return.


Day 973