Honor the Lord with Your Money

Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest; then your barns will be completely filled, and your vats will overflow with new wine. Proverbs 3:9-10 HCSB

The act of tithing, giving 10% of one’s earnings back to the Lord, is not a new concept. In Genesis 14:20, Abraham gave a tenth of everything he had to God and in Genesis 28:20, Jacob promised to give a tenth of everything he had to the Lord. There are numerous accounts of giving offerings of animals and even grain in the Old Testament. Some say that tithing is not taught in the New Testament but Luke 11:42 and Matthew 23:23 reveal that Jesus instructs the Pharisees that they should not leave it undone – referring to the tithe, but that they should do more. Malachi 3:10 instructs, “ Bring the whole or full tithe to the storehouse.” We are to bring the whole tithe, not a portion of the tithe, and we are to bring our best to God. As we bring our best, we honor God.

Some believe that a tithe should be determined on take- home pay after taxes are taken out, but if it is taxable, it should be tithable. God owns everything; He does not need our tithes and offerings but He knows that we need to learn the principle of giving and sacrificing. God only asks that we give back 10 percent. We are to live on the other 90 percent. The tithe is used to support the work of the church and further God’s kingdom. As we give voluntarily and cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7), God will bless us beyond measure. These verses remind us to honor the Lord with our possessions. We should bring the first fruits of our harvest, which is the best part of the harvest. God always deserves our best.

Challenge: Follow the practical advice found in God’s Word and give a tithe of ten percent of your income to your local church and see how God blesses you and your church. Bring the best of your money, resources, talents, and time to the Lord as an offering. God is pleased when we honor Him with our possessions.

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