ICS Daily Devotions
You Can’t Afford Not to Tithe
Malachi 3:8-10(NKJV) “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 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.
If you are insecure about the future or your finances, it may be because you don’t have the habit of practising tithing and freewill offering. Those who do and who have experienced God’s faithfulness won’t be concerned, restless or afraid because they are confident that God has a plan for them.
The tithe is holy to the Lord, and it belongs to Him for the purpose of supporting His workers and ministry. God asks us to honour Him with the tithe and the firstfruits of all our increases. Therefore, if we profess to love the Lord, desire to serve Him and be loyal to Him, it should be natural to do what is required of us. Otherwise, it would rebellion, disobedience, or in His word “robbing” Him.
Tithing is still relevant today, and it is 10% or more of our gross income, profits and bonuses etc. We tithe because God owns everything that we have, and we want to worship and honour Him with it. No believer wants to be a robber in God’s eyes, and money shouldn’t come between God and us if we profess God to be Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. The tithe should go to the local church where you receive the Word and pastoral care, and because God also uses the church for the work of the ministry including outreach and missions, He wants His storehouse to be amply supplied through the tithe.
It is easy for Christians to trust in the world because they can see the benefits with their eyes, rather than in God, and this stronghold is revealed if you struggle to tithe. Though we live in the world, we must not operate in the ways of the world by trusting in our jobs or businesses more than in God. Sadly, it sometimes takes a crisis to show us who we really trust.
Living for the Lord and being a good steward of the finances that He has entrusted to us go hand in hand, and we won’t experience His faithfulness and provision unless we practise tithing and freewill offering. Otherwise, when challenges come, what is left is our dependence on our own abilities and the security that came from what we might have lost. If we want to experience God and have the grace to go through tough times, we must deal with our love of money and accept the Lordship of Christ in our lives.
Sermon Series: Don’t Talk About Money, Pastor
