The Test
Read Malachi 3:8-12.
Yesterday, I heard a pastor share about a children's moment that became a real worship moment in his church. During his children's sermon, he was demonstrating what a "tithe" is by having ten items on the steps, and then putting one of those items in the offering plate. This, the pastor said, was what a tithe is—10% of what we are given, we give back to God. One child, in a moment that can only be described as a "God moment," looked at the pastor and said, "Wow, we don't give God very much, do we?"
You can't plan moments like that!
But the child is right. It's always been amazing to me that God gives us so much and yet only asks us to give ten percent back. It's really not much—we get to keep ninety percent for our own use. Yet we most often give that ten percent grudgingly, or not at all. I believe the latest numbers indicate that most Christians give less than two percent of their income to a God they say means everything to them. And that's even when we know God has promised us that, when we are faithful in the tithe, he will pour out blessings on us. God even allows us to "test" him in this. That's what he said through the prophet Malachi. Even though we're told not to put God to the test (see Deuteronomy 6:16: reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 4:7 and Luke 4:12), we're allowed to do so in one area of our lives: the tithe.
Now, some preachers will tell you that "blessing" here means more money. If you give, God will give you more. I don't know that "blessing" always equates to money. Blessing may come in other forms, maybe even less tangible forms. Maybe, as a church is faithful, God provides more people who can help the church take the mission to the next level. Maybe, in our personal lives, he gives us just what we need and blesses us with contentment. Maybe he gives us more so that we can give more. I don't know what form the blessing will take—I just know God calls us to be faithful in this one thing, and that he longs to pour out blessing on us, more blessing than we can imagine.
Wow, said the child, we don't give God very much, do we? Yet he calls us to be faithful and invites us to test him. Will we? Can we? Are we ready to do that?
Yesterday, I heard a pastor share about a children's moment that became a real worship moment in his church. During his children's sermon, he was demonstrating what a "tithe" is by having ten items on the steps, and then putting one of those items in the offering plate. This, the pastor said, was what a tithe is—10% of what we are given, we give back to God. One child, in a moment that can only be described as a "God moment," looked at the pastor and said, "Wow, we don't give God very much, do we?"
You can't plan moments like that!
But the child is right. It's always been amazing to me that God gives us so much and yet only asks us to give ten percent back. It's really not much—we get to keep ninety percent for our own use. Yet we most often give that ten percent grudgingly, or not at all. I believe the latest numbers indicate that most Christians give less than two percent of their income to a God they say means everything to them. And that's even when we know God has promised us that, when we are faithful in the tithe, he will pour out blessings on us. God even allows us to "test" him in this. That's what he said through the prophet Malachi. Even though we're told not to put God to the test (see Deuteronomy 6:16: reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 4:7 and Luke 4:12), we're allowed to do so in one area of our lives: the tithe.
Now, some preachers will tell you that "blessing" here means more money. If you give, God will give you more. I don't know that "blessing" always equates to money. Blessing may come in other forms, maybe even less tangible forms. Maybe, as a church is faithful, God provides more people who can help the church take the mission to the next level. Maybe, in our personal lives, he gives us just what we need and blesses us with contentment. Maybe he gives us more so that we can give more. I don't know what form the blessing will take—I just know God calls us to be faithful in this one thing, and that he longs to pour out blessing on us, more blessing than we can imagine.
Wow, said the child, we don't give God very much, do we? Yet he calls us to be faithful and invites us to test him. Will we? Can we? Are we ready to do that?
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