Our economy today is drastically different from the economy of the lands and times of the Bible.  In our economy, we don’t have to save of our labors out of necessity or fear of not having enough.  We have food stamps if we run out of food or money.  We have section eight housing.  There is welfare for the poor.  And social security for the elderly.  We have grocery stores that are open 24 hours a day.  We have government programs to supply every need.

In the lands and times of the Bible, if you did not save some of your labors, you could literally starve to death.  This has been true throughout most of history.  Saving was integral to surviving.

In our day and time, we are taught to spend it all and then spend even more by credit.  This way of dealing with life keeps us in debt.  The debt keeps us showing up on the job to get the money to pay the debt.  We have been trained to be good workers for American industry.

We are no longer self-reliant or God-sufficient.

Proverbs 3:9,10 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: (This part of the verses addresses tithing/giving)  So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. (This part of the verse addresses our duty to save.)

Many of us have believed and obeyed the first part of this instruction but not the second part.  We tithe/give, but we have not been taught to believe and do the second part — to save part of what God gives us back. We just spend it all and more!

As mentioned above, in our economy, saving is not as much of an immediate necessity as in the old days.  However, economies don’t last forever.  Governments come and go. Living by the principles of God’s Word will always work, and for long-term prosperity, saving is necessary. (Some Christians have been taught to save a year’s supply of food against disasters such as economic collapse and war when the grocery stores may be closed or out of food.)

Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

God promises here that if you will give, He, by way of people, will give it back to you in abundance!

Proverbs 19:17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

In the record in Proverbs 3, we see that God expects us to save at least some of what comes back to us.  They learned to live on less than what they produced.  The rest was stored in barns or storehouses as they were an agricultural economy.  But the principles of God never change no matter what type of economy we live in.  Today, we may put the rest in a bank, a bank bag, or store it as gold coins in our dresser drawer.  No matter how we save, God pays enough back to us for giving, and we can save some if we are diligent.

If this biblical instruction of barns and storehouses is new to you, you could do a search of the Bible for the words: storehouse(s), treasuries or barns.  You could pray for wisdom and understanding.  Pray for your spouse because success in finances is much easier if you are both on the same page.

King David was a man after God’s own heart and he asked God to teach him. You too could ask God as David did, to “lead me, teach me and guide me.” We could take a lesson from him as to how to live this life in many areas.  Here, this great man of God, the forefather of Jesus Christ, wrote by revelation the following:

Psalm 31:3 For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.
Psalm 25:5 Lead me in thy truth and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

This man of God, who was such a great prophet and king, was humble enough to ask God to lead him and teach him and guide him.

It used to be that a bank would let you start a savings account with a dollar.  Not so anymore. Start with a bank bag and a dollar.  Many people have found that the longer they endeavor to save, the easier it becomes. It can become part of your life. But remember giving is like the rain, it is what makes the garden grow.  Here, the garden would be our storehouses/barns. So as we give and it comes back to us – save.

To start saving with a dollar may seem pointless. It may feel like you will never see the savings amount to much.  It takes time to grow.   For example:  an apple seed, when planted, may seem pointless as it is such a small seed.  Yet, if tended diligently in the years to come, it will produce much fruit. Saving is the same way.

If saving is difficult for you because of too much debt, use the snowball principle to pay off the debt. God’s will has never been for His children to be in debt. Ask Him to lead you, teach you and guide you into better ways of handling your finances.  Get out of your comfort zone.  Gain some Godly wisdom, and then do what you learn.  Here is a great section of God’s Word. It tells us of God’s will for our lives and tells us of the great benefits of living according to this wisdom of God. Here, wisdom is depicted as a woman who is speaking.

Proverbs 8:14-21 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures (storehouses).

If you are going to teach giving and receiving, saving should be taught also as it is part of the same context.  Learning to save some of what God pays back to you is all part of learning to live and manifest The Prosperous Life.