I
Will
Present
To God
A
Tenth Of Everything He Gives Me.
Scripture
Genesis
28
“...and
I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.”
Observation
When
I hear someone mumble and grumble, whine and complain about their
pastor preaching or strongly encouraging them to tithe, I chuckle and
I think to myself, “This poor person just doesn't understand the
'law of the harvest'.”
In
Genesis 28, we find Jacob saying that he is going to give back to God
a tenth of everything that God gives him. No one had to tell him that
it was a smart thing to do, once he realized that everything he had
came from God it was a 'no-brainer' for him to give back a tenth.
If
you don't understand that everything that you have comes from God and
you don't understand that you are not the actual owner of anything
then of course it is going to bother you that a pastor would
encourage giving a tenth or a tithe back to the church.
And
if you don't get it, you might think or you might even say out loud
something like this, “All that pastor ever thinks about is money”!
Have you said that before?
Okay,
so where is the truth in all of this!
Here
are a couple of things to think about as you get ready to hopefully
go to church this Sunday:
1. God wants to bless us.
2. Giving back to
God a tithe, a tenth, is a way for us to show that we love and trust
Him.
3. The more we trust Him and the more we give (yes, even giving
more than ten percent) the more our Heavenly Father will bless us.
4.
Giving back to God is a test, a test to see how much we trust Him.
5.
You and I cannot out give our God.
Here
are a few verses to back up what I am saying and they might help you
understand why it is so important for your pastor to strongly
encourage you and the congregation to be a generous givers.
Malachi
3:10
10 Bring
all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my
Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of
Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I
will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to
take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!
Luke
6:38
38 Give,
and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed
down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured
into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get
back.”
Galatians
6:7
7 Don’t
be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always
harvest what you plant.
2
Corinthians 9:6-8,10-11
6 Remember
this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop.
But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You
must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give
reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who
gives cheerfully.”
8 And God
will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have
everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. …
10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then
bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your
resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.
11 Yes, you
will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And
when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.
Application
I
will give generously knowing that my God loves a generous giver!
How
about you?
Prayer
Heavenly
Father, I know that You are not concerned about the size of our gift.
But I know it makes You smile every time that we give sacrificially.
Help me to trust You to take care of my family. Don't let me or Kathy
be stingy. Show us who needs our help. Show us how to encourage those
who are struggling or having a hard time.
I
pray for any person who may be reading this blog who has a difficult
time giving a tithe. Use Your Word to show them that they can totally
trust You to do what You have promised. Show them how much You want
to bless them if they will just trust You in the area of giving and
being generous!
Daily
Bible Reading: Genesis 27,28; Psalms 4; Luke 11
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