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Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. NRS Malachi 3:10 give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back. NRS Luke 6:38 One of the easiest decisions my wife and I ever made was to give at least a tithe to the church. We were engaged to be married, and as with most couples, discussed the way life would be for us. We could not agree on silverware - it took three weeks of looking before we could agree on a pattern. But, when it came to whether we would give money away and where it would go, the issue was solved in about one minute. I can still remember some days right before payday when we would rifle the couch for money that to enable us to eat a little better, but the tithe was paid. I know there are some who disagree with my attitude about giving. I have heard people say, “God would not expect a person to be poor when the church doesn’t need the money nearly as much.” “I don’t have much money to give, so I will give of my time.” Then there are the ones who say they will give when they have money. Some have said they would like to win the lottery so they can give it to God. I believe what God said in Malachi 3:10. “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.” My wife and I did not give a tithe in the early days when we were living below the poverty level to put God to the test. We gave a tithe because we loved God, Christ, and the Body of Christ. Kathryn Marshal says it best in the great anthem, “My Eternal King” when she wrote, “My God I love thee. Not because of heaven thereby.” She goes on to identify that her love has nothing to do with what God will, or can, do for her. She just loves God. Napoleon Hill, a protégé of Dale Carnage, says one of the things all great rich people have in common is they give money away. In fact, he states that it is a law of the universe that to get rich, you must give money away. He states that the more you give, the richer you get. He is not the only one who teaches this principle. Bob Proctor, a well-known lecturer says the same thing. Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen teach the same principle in their book, “The One Minute Millionaire.” All of these people teach that if you are in harmony with the universe you will become rich. And, giving is but one of the ways we are in harmony with the universe. Although these people believe in God, I find it interesting that they teach tithing apart from the Bible. Jesus said it another way in Luke 6:38, “give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back." Dawn Breaker #83:
You shall reap what you sow.
"There are a number of
guidelines I try to follow in life and ministry. I find that when I follow
them, situations sometimes become like the rising of the sun. There
is a luminous glow turning to great light, and occasionally, inspiration.
When I don't follow these adopted guidelines, they sometimes become Don
breakers, making life frustrating at best. I do not suggest
you should live by all the principles I choose for my life. If they
are helpful for you, make them your own. They work for me."
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