So we talked about prayer and fasting in part 1. Now lets move on to the tithe. Tithe means tenth or 10 percent. Leviticus 27 talks about how your first 10 percent is holy, set apart, and belongs to the Lord...
28 “However, anything specially set apart for the Lord—whether a person, an animal, or family property—must never be sold or bought back. Anything devoted in this way has been set apart as holy, and it belongs to the Lord." Verse 30...“One-tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord and must be set apart to him as holy."
We need to honor God with our best and give to him what is his. He created the heavens and the earth and owns everything already, right? If you love God, you will obey him and he will bless you. You don't tithe because God needs your money, you do it because you love him and in return, you will be blessed.
Proverbs 3:9-11
"Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine."
Malachi 3:8-12:
“Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!
“But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’
“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies."
"The generous will prosper;
those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed." -Proverbs 11:25
God wants us to be blessed so that we can be a blessing. 2 Corinthians 8:9 says, " For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."
God wants his children to be blessed and to be rich. He says in his word that we will become the head and not the tail and we will lend to many and borrow from no one. He wants us to be blessed in every area of our lives. But we have to first obey God's word, act on it, speak it out into existence and thank God for the outcome in which you are expecting. Have faith that when you obey God, you will reap the benefits! You do not serve God at a lost. There are blessing that come along side with obeying and acting out His word in faith.
"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." Hosea 4:6 People don't think God wants them prosperous, but he does. Connect yourself with Him and read his word! The bible says, "for the LOVE of money is the root of all evil....." 1 Timothy 6:10. But when you LOVE GOD FIRST and put Him first in everything you do, you will be blessed. Connect your money with the Lord.
Matthew 6:30-34
And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."
Give to God what is his and give your best as well on top of that; (give your tithe and offerings to the Lord.) Give out of faith and in love.
Again, the bible already says that if you love God you will obey him. Now give in faith and expectation that God will do what His word says! Thank God that He will open the window of heaven over you so that you can be a blessing to others and to your generation. Thank him that you will be the head and not the tail and will lend to many and borrow from no one; as His word states in Deuteronomy 15:6. Thank Him that you will leave an inheritance for your grandchildren and the sinner’s wealth will passes to the godly (ref. Proverbs 13:22).
Thank you lord for all of your covenant promises! Thank you that when I obey your word, put it into action and speak it out over my life, I will always come out victorious and that "surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." Psalm 23:6. Amen!