God is the Answer to the Ache in our Hearts

Mankind is aching.   If you don't believe me, just look around you.  Everywhere people are searching for something to fill that void inside.  For some people it is alcohol or drugs.  For others it can take other forms of addiction such as sex, food, gambling, or video games.  Some people believe that happiness can be found in the perfect relationship,
house, job, or monetary possessions. The thing is, when people finally obtain that which they are searching for, they discover that they are no happier than they were before.  They find that they are chasing the impossible, for nothing on this earth can fill the void inside of our hearts.

Only God can fill this void.  This is one of the reasons that God stresses in the Bible the importance of putting him first in all things...in our money, in our relationships, in our lives.  He isn't being mean when he tells us to put him first in our finances.  He knows we have bills to pay, and God certainly doesn't NEED our money.  Actually, it isn't even our money.  It is God's money.  Everything we have belongs to God and we have it because he has blessed us with it. By paying our tithe to God before we pay anything else, we are showing God that we are trusting Him with our finances. 

When Jesus tells us "Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me"( Matthew 10:37; NIV), He is not being cruel or selfish.  He tells us this because He loves us and He knows that only He can satisfy the longing of our hearts.  When we put Him first in all things, our lives will be more fulfilling because we will be following God's plan for our lives. In Jeremiah 29:11, God says, "For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

By putting God first in our lives, we can set aside all of the empty promises that this world has to offer.  The promises of this world are so easily washed away, leaving us empty.  God's love endures forever.