Luke 14:28-30 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doth not first sit down and count the cost, whether he have `wherewith' to complete it? 29 Lest haply, when he hath laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all that behold begin to mock him, 30 saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

In Luke 14, Jesus’ example of building a tower shows the importance of planning and using resources wisely. Otherwise, money may run out before the work is done. As with any plans we make, those involving finances should be covered with prayer. First, ask God for the wisdom to understand His teachings about money and how they apply to your situation. Next, pray for clarity about how much is spent versus how much is earned, as well as all the other details.

One final step is to seek the Lord’s guidance in assessing whether your spending habits are in line with His priorities. In evaluating this, it is helpful to divide expenses into categories, including:

• Giving to the local church, missionaries, and other organizations.
• Basic needs—food, clothing, and housing.
• Insurance, retirement plan, savings.
• Debt, such as mortgages, loans, and credit cards.
• Spending on extras—phones, internet, TV, eating out, vacations, etc.

Some of us will discover that our finances are not in line with scriptural principles, which may be discouraging. If this is true of you, turn to the Lord, confess what has happened, and pray for the strength to handle your God-given resources His way.

Financial discipline is a learned skill. It requires a commitment to live according to Scripture, persistent effort to change bad habits, concentration to develop new ones, and faith that we can learn to live according to God’s priorities. We’re blessed when we practice prayer-based planning.

Bible in One Year: Numbers 33-36 Chapter 33 1 These are the journeys of the children of Israel, when they went forth out of the land of Egypt by their hosts under the hand of Moses and Aaron. 2 And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of Jehovah: and these are their journeys according to their goings out. 3 And they journeyed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians, 4 while the Egyptians were burying all their first-born, whom Jehovah had smitten among them: upon their gods also Jehovah executed judgments. 5 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses, and encamped in Succoth. 6 And they journeyed from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness. 7 And they journeyed from Etham, and turned back unto Pihahiroth, which is before Baal-zephon: and they encamped before Migdol. 8 And they journeyed from before Hahiroth, and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness: and they went three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham, and encamped in Marah. 9 And they journeyed from Marah, and came unto Elim: and in Elim were twelve springs of water, and threescore and ten palm-trees; and they encamped there. 10 And they journeyed from Elim, and encamped by the Red Sea. 11 And they journeyed from the Red Sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin. 12 And they journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah. 13 And they journeyed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush. 14 And they journeyed from Alush, and encamped in Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink. 15 And they journeyed from Rephidim, and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai. 16 And they journeyed from the wilderness of Sinai, and encamped in Kibroth-hattaavah. 17 And they journeyed from Kibroth-hattaavah, and encamped in Hazeroth. 18 And they journeyed from Hazeroth, and encamped in Rithmah. 19 And they journeyed from Rithmah, and encamped in Rimmon-perez. 20 And they journeyed from Rimmon-perez, and encamped in Libnah. 21 And they journeyed from Libnah, and encamped in Rissah. 22 And they journeyed from Rissah, and encamped in Kehelathah. 23 And they journeyed from Kehelathah, and encamped in mount Shepher. 24 And they journeyed from mount Shepher, and encamped in Haradah. 25 And they journeyed from Haradah, and encamped in Makheloth. 26 And they journeyed from Makheloth, and encamped in Tahath. 27 And they journeyed from Tahath, and encamped in Terah. 28 And they journeyed from Terah, and encamped in Mithkah. 29 And they journeyed from Mithkah, and encamped in Hashmonah. 30 And they journeyed from Hashmonah, and encamped in Moseroth. 31 And they journeyed from Moseroth, and encamped in Bene-jaakan. 32 And they journeyed from Bene-jaakan, and encamped in Hor-haggidgad. 33 And they journeyed from Hor-haggidgad, and encamped in Jotbathah. 34 And they journeyed from Jotbathah, and encamped in Abronah. 35 And they journeyed from Abronah, and encamped in Ezion-geber. 36 And they journeyed from Ezion-geber, and encamped in the wilderness of Zin (the same is Kadesh). 37 And they journeyed from Kadesh, and encamped in mount Hor, in the edge of the land of Edom. 38 And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of Jehovah, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first day of the month. 39 And Aaron was a hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor. 40 And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the South in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel. 41 And they journeyed from mount Hor, and encamped in Zalmonah. 42 And they journeyed from Zalmonah, and encamped in Punon. 43 And they journeyed from Punon, and encamped in Oboth. 44 And they journeyed from Oboth, and encamped in Iye-abarim, in the border of Moab. 45 And they journeyed from Iyim, and encamped in Dibon-gad. 46 And they journeyed from Dibon-gad, and encamped in Almon-diblathaim. 47 And they journeyed from Almon-diblathaim, and encamped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. 48 And they journeyed from the mountains of Abarim, and encamped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. 49 And they encamped by the Jordan, from Beth-jeshimoth even unto Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab. 50 And Jehovah spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 51 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured `stones', and destroy all their molten images, and demolish all their high places: 53 and ye shall take possession of the land, and dwell therein; for unto you have I given the land to possess it. 54 And ye shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer thou shalt give the less inheritance: wheresoever the lot falleth to any man, that shall be his; according to the tribes of your fathers shall ye inherit. 55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then shall those that ye let remain of them be as pricks in your eyes, and as thorns in your sides, and they shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. 56 And it shall come to pass, that, as I thought to do unto them, so will I do unto you. Chapter 34 1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan according to the borders thereof), 3 then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the side of Edom, and your south border shall be from the end of the Salt Sea eastward; 4 and your border shall turn about southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass along to Zin; and the goings out thereof shall be southward of Kadesh-barnea; and it shall go forth to Hazar-addar, and pass along to Azmon; 5 and the border shall turn about from Azmon unto the brook of Egypt, and the goings out thereof shall be at the sea. 6 And for the western border, ye shall have the great sea and the border `thereof': this shall be your west border. 7 And this shall be your north border: from the great sea ye shall mark out for you mount Hor; 8 from mount Hor ye shall mark out unto the entrance of Hamath; and the goings out of the border shall be at Zedad; 9 and the border shall go forth to Ziphron, and the goings out thereof shall be at Hazar-enan: this shall be your north border. 10 And ye shall mark out your east border from Hazar-enan to Shepham; 11 and the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain; and the border shall go down, and shall reach unto the side of the sea of Chinnereth eastward; 12 and the border shall go down to the Jordan, and the goings out thereof shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to the borders thereof round about. 13 And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which Jehovah hath commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half-tribe; 14 for the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their fathers' houses, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to their fathers' houses, have received, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received, their inheritance: 15 the two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising. 16 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, 17 These are the names of the men that shall divide the land unto you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun. 18 And ye shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land for inheritance. 19 And these are the names of the men: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 20 And of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud. 21 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon. 22 And of the tribe of the children of Dan a prince, Bukki the son of Jogli. 23 Of the children of Joseph: of the tribe of the children of Manasseh a prince, Hanniel the son of Ephod. 24 And of the tribe of the children of Ephraim a prince, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan. 25 And of the tribe of the children of Zebulun a prince, Elizaphan the son of Parnach. 26 And of the tribe of the children of Issachar a prince, Paltiel the son of Azzan. 27 And of the tribe of the children of Asher a prince, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. 28 And of the tribe of the children of Naphtali a prince, Pedahel the son of Ammihud. 29 These are they whom Jehovah commanded to divide the inheritance unto the children of Israel in the land of Canaan. Chapter 35 1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 2 Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and suburbs for the cities round about them shall ye give unto the Levites. 3 And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and their suburbs shall be for their cattle, and for their substance, and for all their beasts. 4 And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about. 5 And ye shall measure without the city for the east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits, and for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the midst. This shall be to them the suburbs of the cities. 6 And the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which ye shall give for the manslayer to flee unto: and besides them ye shall give forty and two cities. 7 All the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities; them `shall ye give' with their suburbs. 8 And concerning the cities which ye shall give of the possession of the children of Israel, from the many ye shall take many; and from the few ye shall take few: every one according to his inheritance which he inheriteth shall give of his cities unto the Levites. 9 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, 10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer that killeth any person unwittingly may flee thither. 12 And the cities shall be unto you for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation for judgment. 13 And the cities which ye shall give shall be for you six cities of refuge. 14 Ye shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge. 15 For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, shall these six cities be for refuge; that every one that killeth any person unwittingly may flee thither. 16 But if he smote him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 17 And if he smote him with a stone in the hand, whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 18 Or if he smote him with a weapon of wood in the hand, whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 19 The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death: when he meeteth him, he shall put him to death. 20 And if he thrust him of hatred, or hurled at him, lying in wait, so that he died, 21 or in enmity smote him with his hand, so that he died; he that smote him shall surely be put to death; he is a murderer: the avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death, when he meeteth him. 22 But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or hurled upon him anything without lying in wait, 23 or with any stone, whereby a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, so that he died, and he was not his enemy, neither sought his harm; 24 then the congregation shall judge between the smiter and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances; 25 and the congregation shall deliver the manslayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil. 26 But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, whither he fleeth, 27 and the avenger of blood find him without the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood slay the manslayer; he shall not be guilty of blood, 28 because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the manslayer shall return into the land of his possession. 29 And these things shall be for a statute `and' ordinance unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 30 Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person that he die. 31 Moreover ye shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer, that is guilty of death; but he shall surely be put to death. 32 And ye shall take no ransom for him that is fled to his city of refuge, that he may come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. 33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood, it polluteth the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. 34 And thou shalt not defile the land which ye inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell: for I, Jehovah, dwell in the midst of the children of Israel. Chapter 36 1 And the heads of the fathers' `houses' of the family of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near, and spake before Moses, and before the princes, the heads of the fathers' `houses' of the children of Israel: 2 and they said, Jehovah commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the children of Israel: and my lord was commanded by Jehovah to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his daughters. 3 And if they be married to any of the sons of the `other' tribes of the children of Israel, then will their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of our fathers, and will be added to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they shall belong: so will it be taken away from the lot of our inheritance. 4 And when the jubilee of the children of Israel shall be, then will their inheritance be added unto the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they shall belong: so will their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers. 5 And Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of Jehovah, saying, The tribe of the sons of Joseph speaketh right. 6 This is the thing which Jehovah doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them be married to whom they think best; only into the family of the tribe of their father shall they be married. 7 So shall no inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe; for the children of Israel shall cleave every one to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. 8 And every daughter, that possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may possess every man the inheritance of his fathers. 9 So shall no inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; for the tribes of the children of Israel shall cleave every one to his own inheritance. 10 Even as Jehovah commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad: 11 for Mahlah, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married unto their father's brothers' sons. 12 They were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father. 13 These are the commandments and the ordinances which Jehovah commanded by Moses unto the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.