Give God His Tithe (1)

“A tithe of everything…belongs to the Lord.”        Lev 27:30 NIV

Instead of saying, “I’m giving God my tithe,” you should say, “I’m giving God His tithe.” But you say, “I earned it, so I own it.” No. The Bible says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Ps 24:1). God owns every square foot of real estate on earth, and every person who walks on it—including you. You’re not an owner, you’re a steward! And while a good steward deserves to be well rewarded by his master, his first priority is to please him and carry out his will. The Bible says, “A tithe of everything…belongs to the Lord.” Get your thinking straight on this issue! In God’s eyes 10 percent of your income is “dedicated funds,” to be used for one thing only—His purposes on the earth. And tithing isn’t how the church raises its budget; it’s how God raises His children. We distort God’s Word when we teach tithing as a means of getting money to pay off church debt, or as a substitute for other worn-out methods of fundraising, or as a cure-all for the church’s financial shortfalls. The Bible says, “Son (daughter)…give me thine heart” (Pr 23:26). When God has your heart’s deepest affection you’ll give gladly, not grudgingly. The first man in Scripture to tithe was Abraham. Why did he do it? Gratitude, because God had delivered him from the hand of an enemy who was out to destroy him. Has God delivered you? Has He blessed you? Then show your gratitude by giving Him His portion!

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