Top of the Table Dealings

Posted on August 15, 2019 by America's Keswick in Victory Call

“Top of the Table Dealings” … Not a phrase I had ever heard before. Have you? Basically it’s the reverse of a phrase we have all probably heard; “under the table.” Let me be totally transparent, in the past, B.C., I have accepted payment for work without having paid taxes on it, let alone tithe, what was that? In my mind and in many minds the government got enough money in taxes. Everyone does it, if they don’t they are the fools. That was my attitude. It was a wrong and sinful attitude to have and I was the fool. I have often been foolish with money and have literally paid the consequences.

As I’ve said since I have come to know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, I am learning to look at things in the light of His perspective. And now I have become well, let’s say a little gun shy. I have a certain amount of money I am responsible to invest for my son’s future. I have been tight fisted with it and fearful of investing and loosing it all. So what am I going to do with it? For a time I figuratively speaking, buried it in a hole for safe keeping and it made no interest. (Matthew 25:25 – And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.) Then being the wildly wise investment guru that I am, I put it in a savings account earning about a 1/2 percent interest. A short time after I had heard of something called I – Bonds and I invested it in that which offers a higher interest rate and short term lock down of the money. Do I sound like I know what I’m talking about? I don’t. This is my child’s money, it’s not a lot and even if it gained a high amount of interest it’s still by no means a fortune. But it is what his father and I are able to set aside for him and it should be invested wisely. I’d like all that I invest plus a good amount of interest to be there when I want to cash out. I don’t want to invest one cent in anything like tobacco companies etc…, or to have a big tax burden on the end.

In my sluggish search for a good investment opportunity I was reading about one firm’s principals and vision. The title of this devotional comes out of their literature and it is that kind of commitment to integrity that makes me feel a little more comfortable with investing.

Top of the table dealings for money I am entrusted with, that sounds like something God will bless. In fact, His word says that if we can be trusted with little we will be entrusted with much. I haven’t always been able to be trusted with little and in turn had been given little. As it says in God’s word, so it is; (Matthew 25:29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.) The Lord is teaching me His financial ways, I don’t always get it right, but I want to get it right more often than not. How about you? How do you handle money?

Do you know what God’s financial ways are? Do you want to know? Here is a place to start, Read: Matthew 25:14-29, Matthew 6:1-4 and 25-34, Proverbs 31:10-31.

Dina

Written by Dina Seaton: Dina Seaton has served on staff for 17 years, currently in Food Service. She is a proud Air Force mom and loves spending time with her son wherever he is, near or far. He is truly her greatest joy.  Dina came to Christ in 2000. She loves God and wants to love Him more! This post was written in 2006.

Think About This: “If God was the owner, I was the manager. I needed to adopt a steward’s mentality toward the assets He had entrusted – not given – to me. A steward manages assets for the owner’s benefit. The steward carries no sense of entitlement to the assets he manages. It’s his job to find out what the owner wants done with his assets, then carry out his will.” – Randy Alcorn

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 91-93, 1 Peter 5| You can download our 2018 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them. – Hosea 14:9

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the doctrinal and theological views held by America’s Keswick