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Scripture for the day: Leviticus 27:30 And all the tithe (1st tenth) of the land, whether of the seed of the land of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's. It is holy to the Lord.
Thought for the day: Here's a place where many of us have difficulty with God. We don't often mind rejoicing in the blessings of God or claiming the promises we find in His Word, whether in the Old Testament or the New. And rightfully so for, as I've said before, every promise in the Book is mine (and yours). We ought to have many reasons to rejoice as we read how God dealt with His people, brought them through so many trials and dangers and then delivered them to the Promised Land, just as He'd promised. We have been grafted into that same root of "chosen people" through the blood of the Lamb! All He's done for them is promised to us as well, and even more.
We generally don't have too much problem with that. It's when we realize that not only is every promise ours, but so is every requirement, that we run into trouble. Jesus said, "I have not come to abolish the Law or the prophets; I have come to fulfill them." Only the ceremonial law has been done away with. All other requirements are as intact today as they were when they were given on Mount Sinai. Jesus came so that we might be enabled to fulfill them by fulfilling the Law of Love.
Take the requirement of the tithe for example. Many will tell you that was done away with because it's from the Old Testament. But those same good folks wouldn't presume to advance the notion that the Ten Commandments were abolished, though they came from the same time. No, the plan of God for financing His church has always been, and continues to be, the tithe, the giving of the first 10% to the Lord. The only thing that changed from the Old Testament to the New was the motivation for giving. Before Jesus, it was the Law; after Jesus it is love. Giving God the tithe gives Him the first rather than the last and helps us to focus on Him rather than on the things of the world. After all He's done for us, gratitude alone should inspire us to make the tithe the starting point of our giving, not the ending of it.
Jesus himself, in an off-handed way, commended the Pharisees for their adherence to the tithe. He said, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices – mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former” (Matthew 23:23). Jesus wasn’t condemning the religious leaders concerning the tithe. His point was that they were so meticulous in their focus on the amount they needed to give that they forgot why they were giving. Not much has changed; we are prone to do the same today. If tithing is done only to fulfill some command, then we’re obeying for the wrong reasons. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – the most He could ask is the least I can do.
Malachi 3:8-12 records a challenge and a promise from God. He challenges each believer to test Him concerning their finances. Try it and see if God doesn't bless beyond all we could ask or think. I've tried it and I can tell you from experience He's always passed the test with flying colors! Never have I lacked for anything I've really needed because I gave the first 10% to God. He's fulfilled His promise of blessing in ways I couldn't have ever imagined. He's under no obligation to make those blessings monetary; they may come in the form of new friendships, time given by someone to help in a situation that would have cost money, or just a sense of increased faith in Him and His ability to take care of us.
Our faith ought to be not only personal but purse-and-all.
Now go take on your world. - Bill