Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

There’s the call to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, into God’s house where we receive spiritual food, and where God’s kingdom is extended and God’s resources are released. This means to be careful to calculate what the whole tithe is. The tithe meant 10% of one’s income. It is the only place in the Bible where God asks us to test Him. God’s heart is to bless his people, and He has designed the discipline of giving of tithes and offerings as a way that reminds us that He is our provider and that we need to be wise stewards over the resources He’s entrusted to us.

Tithing loosens the grip of greed and materialism and frees us to view our money as His money that He has entrusted us with. Jesus affirmed tithing, but his teaching on money and possessions went far beyond just giving a percentage of our income to God. He taught that we are to be willing to surrender whatever God would call us to give up in order to follow Him.

My wife and I are careful to always give a full 10% of our gross income to the Lord as a tithe and then we give an additional offering to Him that speaks of our commitment to Him. Then we are sensitive to His voice in giving an additional monthly offering to missions and then periodically to give to the local food band and to those in need.

We faithfully tithe for a number of reasons: God commands us to give of our tithe and offering. God promises blessing and financial provision as we give. Tithing reminds us that God is our provider not our jobs and that everything we have received has come from Him. Tithing helps us to keep a loose grip on the material things of this world and reminds us that God blesses us so that we can bless others. Tithing helps us to be careful with our money and it is God’s design that we steward carefully the resources He has entrusted to our care. Tithing is investing in God’s kingdom and in something that will last forever. This means there are eternal rewards waiting in heaven for those who have sacrificed by giving their tithes and offerings. God’s ultimate provision and financial blessing means that the 85 to 88% of our income that we choose to live on will actually go further than if we had held on to 100% of it. God has a way of always making that up to us. You can never out give God!

Lord Jesus, thank you for being so faithful to bless us as we trust you with our finances. Help us to hear your voice in how we can be an instrument of financial resource for your kingdom, your people and your eternal purposes. You have been faithful to bless above and beyond what we could ever imagine! Help me to walk in gratefulness and thanksgiving all of my days.