Honouring God With Your Finances (Part 2)

TEXT:

‘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!’ (Malachi 3:10 NLT)

THOUGHT:

Of the Ten Commandments God gave to Moses, the eighth says, ‘You shall not steal’ (Exodus 20:15). In the last book of the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi asks, ‘Will a man rob God?’ (Malachi 3:8). The way that the Children of Israel robbed God was by withholding their tithes or the tenth of their income.

The outcome of their actions was two-fold. Individually and as a nation they ended up living under a curse instead of a blessing. Also the priests and Levites were not financially supported and left the ministry to support themselves from farming instead. 

Malachi challenged God’s people to bring all the tithes into God’s house and see the difference it would make.

In Part 1, we studied three aspects about honouring God with our finances. In this final part we will consider three more.

4. Faith

Honouring God with our tithes is a step of faith. What tithers are really saying is, “I will be better off living on nine-tenths of my income and giving one-tenth to God, than keeping it all for myself and giving God nothing!” So many Christians have proved this statement to be true.

Abraham is called the Friend of God¹ and the Father of our Faith.² It was in appreciation of God giving him a victory and recovering of everything that had been stolen, including his nephew Lot, that prompted Abraham to tithe.³ When he had opportunity to help himself to the spoils of war, he declined, not wanting anyone other than God to say they had helped Abraham become rich.⁴

God immediately responded to Abraham’s declaration of faith, with this wonderful promise, ‘Do not fear Abraham, I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward’ (Genesis 15:1). God not only promised to look after Abraham financially, but He promised him a son!

Jacob, after his God-inspired dream, said, ‘Of all you give me I will surely give a tenth to You’ (Genesis 28:22). This was before he had anything! God ensured he did not fail to prosper even when Laban tried to cheat him again and again.⁵

It’s time to face the fear of giving and replace it with faith. Out of appreciation and with faith, let us honour God with our finances.

5. Fun – ‘God loves a cheerful (hilarious) giver’ (2 Corinthians 9:7)

I will never forget my first visit to a church in America. The building was built like a factory unit and lavishly furnished throughout. The large auditorium seated around two thousand people and the chairs were comfortable to sit on. The morning I attended there were around fifteen hundred present.

The service was led by singers and musicians, with the words projected on the wall. It was all new to me, especially not having a hymn book to hold!

When the minister announced it was time for the offering the congregation started clapping and cheering. They were excited to give and honour God. I could not believe I was in church and no one seemed to head for the toilet to miss the offering!

When the minister announced a surprise second offering later in the service, there were no moans or complaints. More clapping and cheers followed by heart-felt worship as they gave in obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit. The sense of God’s presence was over-whelming and one could sense His pleasure in the church wanting to give.

It’s fun to give and a joy to bless others. It’s time congregations started smiling when the offering comes around and cheering as the amount given increases week by week.

6. Fund Your Future

It’s a well-known medical fact that generous and cheerful people are more likely to live longer, happier and healthier lives. If your giving is helping to keep your church open, then God will keep you going too!

Jesus said, ‘Give and it will be given unto you’ (Luke 6:38). ‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse … 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’ (Malachi 3:10).

The trouble is we want the “And” before we give, but it’s only and always the other way round. When we do the first part, God will surely do the rest. He keeps His promises!

Just as giving helps with the viability of the local church, so it can do the same for the giver. Untold blessings have come to those who are generous, even those who gave out of poverty. Elijah asked the widow to give to him first and the result was the oil and meal never ran out until the rain came again. Later on when her son was taken ill and died, Elijah raised him to life. ⁶  

The wife who invited Elisha for meals and encouraged her husband to build him a little flat to stay in, was rewarded with a child, even though she had no ulterior motive in giving. Later on Elisha raised her son from the dead after he collapsed with a probable brain haemorrhage.⁷

The widow gave out of poverty and the wife gave out of prosperity. What a reward they both got for honouring God with their giving. The amounts they gave were so different, yet they received the same reward!

God does not need our silver and gold. In fact He says, ‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine’ (Haggai 2:8). Everything is God’s anyway. He trusts us with wealth but wants us to be generous not mean when it comes to giving.

If you are already honouring God with your finances, then I encourage you to continue. Be faithful and God will continue to honour your faithfulness.

If you have neglected giving your tithes and offerings then take up the challenge of Malachi. Start now to put it right and see the difference it makes to you and to others.

Endnotes:

¹ James 2:23                ² Romans 4:16             ³ Genesis 14:20           ⁴ Genesis 14:22-23

⁵ Genesis 31:41-42      ⁶ 1 Kings 17:8-24         ⁷ 2Kings 4:8-37