MONEY MATTERS
Personal Suggestions for
Peace and
Success
this New Year
BY RAJEN DEVADASON
“ Test me in this ,” says the Lord Almighty , “ and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it .”
if you ’ re like most people , then as the countdown to Christmas and the New Year continues , it may feel as though your blood pressure is spiking . It ’ s a sad reflection of our times that every Christmas , as the Big Day looms , traffic jams worsen , credit card balances balloon , and tempers flare . So each yuletide season , it would be good for us to remember that our Saviour , who descended on Earth as a bundle of joy in Bethlehem around 4 BC , wasn ’ t just some good person who accidentally altered human history .
Jesus was – and is – infinitely more . So , as carols fill the air , as children tremble with excitement at the sight of Christmas trees and presents , manger scenes and rotund , jolly bearded men bursting their red suits , we must focus on our Scripture-based understanding that two millennia ago , God Almighty , the Creator of the Universe , visited Earth to help , save and prepare us for a life with Him now and for evermore .
Jesus beckons every one to enjoy His full and abundant life . John 10:10 , “ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy ; I have come that they may have life , and have it to the full .” ( Or as the King James Version eloquently words it : ‘... I am come that they might have life , and that they might have it more abundantly !’)
Even as economic conditions worsen in many countries , most notably amongst fossil energy exporters , the promises of God ’ s blessings always hold true . That includes the staggering commitment of God to His people in Malachi 3:10 (“ Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse , that there may be
32 ASIAN BEACON 48 # 1 December 2016 - January 2017