Fast Offerings

"A person cannot give a crust to the Lord without receiving a loaf in return" - Melvin J. Ballard

This is a perfect quote to start of my blogging. Last night I was talking to Jon telling him about this blog and the five things we are focusing on and we latched on to fasting for a few minutes. One of the points Jon emphasized was one that often gets overlooked... "fast offerings". So I devoted my morning study to learning more about fasting.

I began my quest I came across a talk from general confrence May 1986 from Elder L. Tom Perry. It was interesting in that at the time, the country was in a simular financial crisis as we are now. He tells a story about how how there are always been and always will be economic ups and downs but by following the lords council, we have and always will make it through them ok.

He goes on to talk about the law of the fast and the 3 main points.
1. Provide assistance to the needy through contribution of fast offerings- consisting of the value of meals from which we abstain.
2. A fast is beneficial physically.
3. A fast increases humility and spirituality on the part of the individual.

I wanted to write about the first one and how it is often overlooked by myself and i'm sure others. This is a cruicial step to the fast and thank you Jon for reminding me this.

Going back to "economic ups and downs". I remember my childhood and something called the bishops storehouse. I remember from time to time going with my dad to a grocery store in the middle of and industrial area. took about 30 mins to get there. Always wondered why we drove so far and went to this wierd place to get our groceries and I never realized til now. We would usually offer to unload crates of food or some other "back of the house task" before we spent the next hour filling a massive grocery order for ourselves. I understand now that we were on the church welfare program and the steps my dad had fulfilled in order for us to partake.

There was so much food. we always came back with tons and tons. And I realize now it was all paid for by fast offerings. My dad had to be obeying the requirements, paying tithe, fast offerings and offer service in order to partake. I saw first hand the power of how fast offerings can impact lives. It is a wonderful, wonderful thing and easy to overlook when you don't realize that the offering is very real and is going to help someone you may know eat today.

"Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat, and have left plenty: for the Lord hath blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store" -2 chronicles 31:10.

A true genuine fast cannot have full effect without the offering. It is a cruicial step and I understand first hand why. I am grateful for this study this morning and grateful for my testimony. This is going to be a great experience blogging and look forward to the days to come.