Inside Story for Friday 7th of November 2025

Read the rest of the mission story next week.

Frank Mukube ran short on money after moving to a new town in Namibia and furnishing his rented home with many things bought on credit: a bed, a couch, a stove, a radio, a television, a rug, and even kitchen pots.

That hadn’t been the plan. Frank had a new job as an accounting teacher, and he had calculated his monthly budget carefully. At first, he faced no trouble giving tithe and offerings and making loan repayments. But then unexpected expenses crept up. There didn’t seem to be enough money for everything, and he stopped giving tithe and offerings. Frank felt terrible.

Image © Pacific Press

He prayed, “What should I do?” It would take two years to repay the debt. But Malachi 3:8-9 said, “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithe and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me” (NKJV).

Two years passed. Frank felt a heavy burden until the day he repaid the loans. But instead of joy, he felt more miserable. He decided to return everything bought on credit. The first person to learn of his plan was his boss at the state institution where he taught. He asked for permission to leave campus for a few hours. “I need to return my belongings to the store,” he said.

“Haven’t you paid for them?” his boss asked.

“I’ve paid fully, but I want to return them,” Frank said.

“Why?”

“They’re standing between me and my God because I failed to return what belongs to God.”

Mocking laughter filled the room. “You can’t do such a thing,” his boss said. “Are you crazy?” But he allowed Frank to leave campus.

Frank went to his rented home and announced his decision to his brother, who had moved in. His brother also questioned Frank’s sanity.

“It’s good not to sleep with things that are cursed,” Frank replied. “I used God’s money to pay for these things.”

Then Frank went to the store and spoke with the manager, who looked up the purchases on the computer and saw that everything had been paid for.

“Are you out of your mind?” he asked.

Frank assured him that he was fine.

“But we can’t buy them back from you,” the manager said.

Frank didn’t mind.

The manager printed out a document. “Sign here,” he said. “It says you’ve paid for everything but are returning them without compensation.”

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25d-06-inside-story-returning-gods-things-part-1/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=25d-06-inside-story-returning-gods-things-part-1

Daily Lesson for Friday 7th of November 2025

Read: Ellen G. White, “The Fall of Jericho,” Pages 493–498, in Patriarchs and Prophets.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

“The deadly sin that led to Achan’s ruin had its root in covetousness, of all sins one of the most common and the most lightly regarded. . . .

“Achan acknowledged his guilt, but when it was too late for the confession to benefit himself. He had seen the armies of Israel return from Ai defeated and disheartened; yet he did not come forward and confess his sin. He had seen Joshua and the elders of Israel bowed to the earth in grief too great for words. Had he then made confession, he would have given some proof of true penitence; but he still kept silence. He had listened to the proclamation that a great crime had been committed, and had even heard its character definitely stated. But his lips were sealed. Then came the solemn investigation. How his soul thrilled with terror as he saw his tribe pointed out, then his family and his household! But still he uttered no confession, until the finger of God was placed upon him. Then, when his sin could no longer be concealed, he admitted the truth. How often are similar confessions made. There is a vast difference between admitting facts after they have been proved and confessing sins known only to ourselves and to God. Achan would not have confessed had he not hoped by so doing to avert the consequences of his crime. But his confession only served to show that his punishment was just. There was no genuine repentance for sin, no contrition, no change of purpose, no abhorrence of evil.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, Pages 496–498.

Discussion Questions

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25d-06-further-thought-the-enemy-within/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=25d-06-further-thought-the-enemy-within