So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
Says the Lord of hosts;
¹² “And all nations will call you blessed,
For you will be a delightful land,”
Says the Lord of hosts. 

Tithing seems to be a”dirty word” to many these days. God gave us the tithe for our own good: that 10% belongs to God just like the tree of the knowledge of good & evil in the garden of Eden belonged to God. If we follow His rules and give His portion back to Him, it reminds us that we are NOT God, even though we who believe in Jesus Christ are children of Father God. As parents, we have things that are ours that are not for our children because these things would not be good for them at their age. As a good Father, God does also. This doesn’t mean parents don’t want the best for their children, it’s just that they’re not ready for it yet. Let’s look at the testimony of God’s care and provision for the Israelite’s 40 years in the wilderness.

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   Nehemiah 9:20 

You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them,
and did not withhold Your manna from their mouth,
and gave them water for their thirst.
²¹ Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness;
they lacked nothing;
their clothes did not wear out
and their feet did not swell.

Can you imagine not having to buy food, water, clothing or shoes and not suffering from swollen feet for 40 years? This verse in Nehemiah came to me as I was walking this morning. I looked down at my hiking shoes I wear a lot and began wondering how much longer before I’ll need a new pair. What if I can trust my heavenly Father to keep this pair from wearing any more to last for another 30-40 years? What about my sneakers I keep for exercise? There are so many shoe stores around and so many “fabulous” sales, how often do YOU replace your sneakers/shoes/boots? What about clothing?…

I’ve been tithing and giving offerings out of my money I get from odd jobs since I was taught about tithing as a young believer. I may run low on funds, but I’ve never run out. I’ve never been without food, clothing, etc. The money is there when I want to sign up for special events and for gas for my car, also for mission trips and to support others. I use at least 10% of my gas for the Lord’s work, I’ve been sharing at least 10% of our garden produce, I use at least that much time for the ministries the Lord has given me each week. On top of the 10%, I give over and above when I have opportunity.

Here’s a testimony of God rebuking the devourer: two weeks ago the motel was busy and my boss told me to come after church to help. My whole morning was planned around work; it was my focus. When I got to the motel, boss said “Didn’t you get my text?” I hadn’t checked my phone since I left for church. She and the other two workers had completed most of the rooms and didn’t think they needed me, but I spent two hours working, which would have taken the other workers at least another hour to finish. I also got over $40.00 in tips and $24.00 added to my paycheck that I would not have had if I’d checked my phone. Kevin Zadai said the devil’s in charge of worldly finances and doesn’t even want us to have a paycheck. I believe because I trust the Lord with my finances (not perfectly yet…) He rebuked the devourer’s plans that day! I had money to sign up for a conference that’s coming to our church and also pay for that week’s gas because of those finances.

I’m eager to learn more from Dr. Kevin and the Bible and see how much more I can trust the Lord and walk in all that’s needed to do my part in bringing the Kingdom of God here on earth. The Gospel is free, but to do the work needed to spread it costs money.

SHALOM my dear readers!