Loosen That Grip | Malachi 3:11-12

I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. —  Malachi 3:11-12 We need to remember that this is a continuation of the previous verses. God is challenging his people to re-up their commitment to bringing one-tenth of all their annual earnings to the Temple. And then here, God clarifies that doing this puts a follower in a place where he can protect and provide. But all men have a problem: we want to protect and provide for ourselves. We want to be in control of our finances and determine our future. But these are not things we can control or determine. We cannot control or determine anything. This includes the weather, nature, creatures, markets, production, or anything that happens in the future. But God can. And he wants us to trust him with these concerns. And we demonstrate that we trust him by loosely holding the things he has given us to steward. We must consciously hold them (to steward them) but not tighten our grip on them (attempting to control them). And the way we demonstrate a loose-tight stewardship grip is by returning a small portion of what God has given to us. So the question on the table is this. What are you gripping too tightly? Is it your career? Your finances? A relative like a parent or a child? Your opinion on politics? The preservation of your health? Is there something that you are gripping so tightly that it prevents God from providing and protecting for you? If so, give it to God. Loosen your grip because you might be getting in the way of the blessing he has wanted to provide you. ASK THIS: What are you gripping too tightly? DO THIS: Give it to God and let him protect and provide. PRAY THIS: God, I want to give you... PLAY THIS: Jesus, My Treasure. Check out other all Vince Miller's videos and audios for small groups at: https://beresolute.org/ Get Vince's most widely read resources The Daily Devotional at: https://beresolute.org/mdd Check out more ALL IN products like the one Vince is wearing at: https://beresolute.org/product-category/all-in-hats/ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Connect with Vince socially: FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/millervince INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vinceleemiller LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincemiller TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vinceleemiller