Bringing God My Baloney Sandwich
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. 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.
Malachi 3:10
The late Bob Benson is one of my favorite storytellers. In one of his most familiar stories, he recalls a time when as an unmarried young man, he went to an old-fashioned church picnic.
Benson was running late and when he got ready to pack his food, all he could find in the refrigerator was a piece of baloney and two slices of stale bread. So he slapped together a baloney sandwich, wrapped it up in wax paper, and went to the picnic.
He got to the park and was prepared to simply lean against a tree and eat by himself when a nearby family said, “Hey come sit with us.” So he did.
He sat down and unwrapped his baloney sandwich as they began unpacking their enormous picnic basket. They had fried chicken and potato salad and baked beans and deviled eggs and a relish tray and two big chocolate pies. “And there I sat,” he writes, “with my baloney sandwich.”
And then they said, “Listen, why don’t we just share?” “Oh,” he said, “I’ve just got a baloney sandwich.” “That’s okay,” they said, “we like baloney sandwiches. And we’ve got plenty. Let’s just put it all together.”
Benson says, “I felt pretty humbled, but I couldn’t resist – especially that chocolate pie!” And he concludes his story, “I came as a pauper and I ate like a king!”
Partnering with God
In hearing about that story, I thought about God. When we come to His “picnic,” it’s embarrassing how little we bring to the table. But he has plenty… more than enough to not only meet our needs but to richly satisfy us. And He smiles and says, “Let’s just share. You give what you’ve got, and I’ll give what I’ve got.”
In essence, this is what He is saying in Malachi 3:10.
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. 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.”
The Lord is offering an amazing partnership whereby if we will trust Him with our offering, meager though it may be, He will open up the floodgates of blessing.
The Lord is offering an amazing partnership whereby if we will trust Him with our offering, meager though it may be, He will open up the floodgates of blessing.
When you think about it that way, isn’t it absurd how so many people run through life holding onto their baloney sandwiches, saying, “These are mine. I’m not going to give them up. Nosirree!”
Crazy!
Listen, friends, God doesn’t need your baloney sandwich; but you need His chicken. It all boils down to whether you’re willing to trust Him when He offers to share.
I dare you to try. So does He.
PRAYER
Lord, all too often I fear that in giving up my financial baloney sandwich, I will lose. Help me to see that in fact when I do that, I will actually win. You possess a wonderfully abundant picnic basket. Thank You for the offer you make to go into partnership.
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