Barn Raising

Proverbs 2 9-10
Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

When I lived in Kentucky we heard stories of "Barn Raising's" the idea is the community would come together to build a new barn for the upcoming harvest. This would be a major event. It would bring friends, neighbors and others from miles around together for a common cause. It promoted goodwill, and blessings to all involved.

A lot of planning would need to be done before the results would be realized. The necessary materials would need to be staged, the assignments of key details must be in place.

God lays out for His children His plans, details for a successful "Barn Raising"

1. Honour the Lord.
One definition states that honor includes; to be guided by a sense of highest respect and duty. I believe that to honor the Lord requires two things. Highest respect = is a mind set, or attitude. We must be aware of our low position when compared to the Lord. Our attitude should reflect or true status before the Lord. Duty = Action: Our attitude is reflected by our duty!

with thy substance.
Our attitude reflected by our duty should be inspected by all in how we treat our substance. Since God allows us to have stuff it would stand to reason that He owns it, and we should make it available to Him for His use.

and with the firstfruits of all thine increase.
We tithe because it is a command? we complain because we are asked to give beyond the requirement. We act like toddlers when it comes to sharing. This detail must be in place BEFORE God will raise our barn. It is our attitude and action that determines the outcome of blessings we receive.

2. So shall thy barns be filled.
If we are totally consumed with God, our attitude and actions will prove our love of God. Now God gives us his promises. The goal of any barn raising is so the barn could be filled with a great harvest. This harvest would translate into resources that take care of needs and wants. These blessings would allow blessings to come back to the community as a whole.

Filled barns is an economic boon to the community. When God fills our barns, it is a blessing to the community of those who are saved! The cause of Christ is blessed and the world sees these blessings and desires to get in on these blessings too.

Thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
The spiritual blessings are about to take on a new dimension. This promise declares that we will receive new wine, a reference to the guidance and control of the Holy Spirit. Can you imagine what the Christian world would look like if it were to be completely guided by the Holy Spirit. I think it would be as close to blissful live as we could get on earth.

So! I ask you are you making plans for your Barn Raising?