Who is raising our gas prices?

Are the rising gas prices more sinister than we thought?

At the outset, I want to let you know that I don't necessarily think this is true. It was simply an idea that passed through my odd mind at 12:58 a.m. on a Sabbath after enjoying a Great Kiddush wine.

So a friend of ours from Church left a message on our voicemail. (For anyone reading who doesn't know, I am Jewish and my wife is Seventh Day Adventist. Thus, we attend Synagogue and Church). So a friend of ours from Church left a message on our voicemail. It turns out that this family is unable to come to Church because they simply cannot afford the gas to drive there.

Now I have heard people joke about not being able to afford to drive to work, but I have not actually heard of someone quitting their job because of the gas prices. I have not heard of anyone who didn't make it to the stores or even to a fast food restaurant because of the gas prices. I just checked online, and it does not appear that Vegas has seen a marked decline in visitors this year. But when it comes to Church, well we just can't seem to afford it.

Is it that The Enemy has given us the high gas prices in order to give us another excuse to stay away from our duties and requirements to G-D, whatever those duties and requirements may be? Or is this merely another example of how we order our life so that we always have time and money for our wants and desires, but when it comes to what He wants, we will give if we still have left after every one of our desires has been fulfilled.

The Bible discusses the necessity of putting aside a portion for G-D (10%, generally referred to as "tithes"). It is very clear that this is the first place your earnings are to go. In the Biblical context, none of a crop could be used until the 10% had been given. Perhaps this concept extends not only to putting aside the first 10% of our crops, commonly referred to in the current vernacular as paychecks. Perhaps, we are also being called now to set aside the first 10% of our gas for travel relating to fulfilling G-D's requests and commandments.

Praise Him daily and He will bless you abundantly. But remember, not only to Praise Him daily, but to be sure to set aside the first words you utter for Praise of Him.