ICS Daily Devotions
Tithing Makes God Your Source

Malachi 3:10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, and try me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts,” if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.

Though there is a promise that God will open up the windows of heaven to bless us, we tithe out of a heart of worship and thanksgiving. It is not a an attempt to get rich quickly. Therefore, our heart has to be in the right place when we tithe or else bitterness might creep.

Tithing gives God His tenth. It says to God: “I recognize you are my source of supply and with you as my source I can do more with the 90% than I could with the 100% just left to my own devices and my own plans. You are my source of supply, you will increase me.” It makes God your source.

Disobedience in tithing is largely due to fear of lack. A lot of people that are either afraid or rebellious to tithe do not have God as their source. They are unwilling to loose that extra amount of money because they don’t have God as the source of their provision.

They think “If I give so and so money, how can I meet all my needs?” This is a very selfish viewpoint and show a lack of trust in God. They have their trust in uncertain riches. It is not to say that sometimes it is not a challenge to tithe. Sometimes it is. You look at the bills and you may think that if you tithe, there will not be much left. But you get to the point where God is your source. If you tithe, you say to God that He is your source of provision and you are honoring Him, being obedient to His Word. And tithing makes God your source.

The verses in Malachi give you some idea of the abundance that is being poured out upon you as a tither. He will open the windows of heaven and pour out for you such a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. In other words you just can’t keep it all to your little selfish means. It’s just going to come out in such abundance that it is overflowing. You cannot contain the blessings of God and so you will be in a position of prosperity where you have more than enough for your own needs to meet the needs of other people. That’s where you position yourself, if you are a tither!

Do you believe this word of God that He will open the windows of heaven to bless you? Wrong belief causes wrong thinking. It stops God from using you as a channel of blessing to the church and world mission. When you are blessed, you are able to tithe more, the work of God can expand through the church and you will be able to sow in free-will offering to world mission and support many other ministries.

By honoring God with that first 10 percent, God looks after the other 90 percent for you. He also rebukes the devil for you if he is ready to attack. The devil stands rebuked over the finances of a tither. By tithing we close the door to him. Instead, God will open the windows of heaven to the tither and pour us out a blessing that we cannot contain. When we practice tithing, it will help us to worship and honor God, and make God the source of our provision!

Sermon Series: Blessed by God