Some people esteem the Word highly. They feed upon it, treasure it, and keep it in their hearts allowing it to become a part of their lives. They have learned to place such a high value on the Word of God and on the Spirit of God that it means more to them than life itself.
But others treat the Word as just another book. It is a shame that they hold God's Word in such low esteem. They might say they believe that the Bible is God's Word, but they do not "esteem" it.
It has no value, no depth nor meaning to them. In the same way, many believers hold the gifts of the Holy Spirit in low esteem. Because they do not recognize the value of the gifts, they will not ever gain any benefit from them.
Everything, from canned goods at the grocery store to gold and diamonds, is weighed to establish its value. And whether we are aware of doing so or not, we weigh the various choices we have as we determine which ones to make.
We also give weight of value to spiritual matters. This is reflected by the action or lack of action we take. For example, you might believe that God is in the healing business and that His desire is that everyone walks in perfect health.
But how you act when sickness occurs in your life will indicate the esteem you have for God's promise. God promises you strength, vitality, and a long life (Eph. 6:3; Prov. 4:22; Ps. 103:1-5).
If you esteem and value this promise, then you will be in a strong position to resist the reproach and criticism of those who do not believe in healing. By placing value on God's supernatural power, you place yourself in a position to receive the benefit of that power.
The more you keep putting the pencil to it, the more you keep looking in the Word, the more you will find how powerful that Word is in your life.
How do you esteem tithing? Has it become an important part of your spiritual life, or do you consider it to be insignificant - of maybe even a bother? You may believe in tithing and yet find yourself debating whether you should give your tithe to the Lord this week.
If you view tithing as having to pay ten percent of your income to God and you think you do not have enough as it is, then you will not give much value to tithing. But if you understand the value that God places on tithing, if you understand that tithing is the foundation of God's plan for great prosperity in your life, then you will get excited about tithing.
As you place great value on the promises that God has made to those who tithe and are faithful to follow His command, you will expect God to do what He promised: "to open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Mal. 3:10).
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers