Building an Unshakable Foundation
ICS Daily Devotions
Hebrews 7:6-9 (NKJV) But he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak,
God owns everything on earth because the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. Every company that we work for draws something from God’s creation to be successful and thus keeps us on the job. Therefore, God is the one who provides us with the job.
The tithe belongs to God. Tithe literally means a tenth of the payment. It represents 10% of a person’s income or the increase from sales of assets, investments, and company profit.
Proverbs (NKJV) 3:9-10 Honour the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase;So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
Every time we are blessed, be it the first bonus, contract, or payout of dividends, we should honour God with the 10%. When we do that, our barns will be filled with plenty, and vats overflow with new wine. God is always giving and nobody can outgive Him, and we will witness His generosity when we follow His Word.
Some people ask whether tithing should be 10% of gross or net income, whether they should tithe to the church, or if they can give to designated projects so that they will know where the money goes and can determine what is right. Ultimately, these questions boil down to one thing—the issue of the heart. They reveal how much we truly trust the Lord. The measure that we give reflects our faith, our love, and our stewardship of God. Jesus says that the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10) while money in itself is neutral. Jesus always deals with the root issue—the issue of the heart. When the rich young man could not part with his riches, Jesus exposed that his security and foundation were in money.
Even though God has appointed mortal men to receive His tithes on earth, the tithes are paid unto the Lord. Scripture says that Jesus receives it in heaven. The difference is that today it is no longer a temple or a tabernacle, but a church made of living stones with Jesus as the cornerstone. We need to come to a point of obedience and act on what the Word of God says, which is honouring God with our tithe and the firstfruits of our increase. It is a declaration of our faith and dependence on God. This way, we will have a solid foundation in our lives irrespective of the economy or our finances.
Sermon Series: A Steady Walk of Faith with God
