Abimelech and the men of Shechem

An interesting story is found in Judges chapter 9. Here we see a vital lesson: it's not just what we do but what we lend our support to that matters. God sees where our money goes, for instance. Distancing ourselves from the end result of something by paying for it and not doing it ourselves does not make us immune to the consequences. (I also think of the men who paid Judas to betray Jesus.) I used to give money to a mission organization based in India but later found out the money was misused. Then I gave to another mission in India. Finally, I decided to give to the American Bible Society because, I thought, they simply distribute bibles. Then I decided to give to my church, as that is biblical. Honestly, I don't know where my money goes, which is why I pray over my tithes and donations before I send them. I ask that the money wouldn't be misused or frittered away on things that aren't important. I ask that it goes to help those most in need. Because I can't see the end result, I think it's important to pray. The men of Shechem were consenting to something evil but distancing themselves by paying for it and not doing it themselves. I don't consent to having my money misused, so I feel there is protection in that. God sees my heart. But, should I ever consent and send money to an organization that is doing something wrong, then I would be judged. This is an interesting story I thought I'd share because sometimes we think what we spend our money on doesn't matter. The implications of this are wide and varied. We should pray about how to use our financial blessings. 

Thank you for reading. And God bless.

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