Thanks for joining us on this journey of building a consistent habit of reading our Bibles every day. The Bible reading plan we are using this year can be found here: One Year Bible or here on the Bible app. As always, if you miss a day, don’t feel compelled to go back and catch up. Just skip it and start back on today’s date. I am reading the NLT this year, but feel free to use whatever version you prefer. Now here are some thoughts from today’s readings:
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.
– Proverbs 3:9-10
The Book of Proverbs is written by the wisest man ever to live besides Jesus. And what does he tell us to do in these two verses? To honor God with our money! And not just any money, but the best part of it (other translation say the “first fruits”). Does that sound familiar? That’s the idea the Bible calls tithing: Giving God the first 10% of our income.
This is the second time we have come across this idea, and neither time was it a command. Both times we see the results are blessing. Some of you may be thinking, “Here we go, talking about money again. That’s all this Christian or Church stuff is about.” Let me turn the question around on you. How much do you spend working for money? What about thinking about money or how to make more? Wishing you had more? Complaining about it? Arguing about it?
Why does God care about your money? He doesn’t need it. He’s God. He cares because He knows we do. Often to much. Often more than we care about God, and He will have no other God’s before Himself in our lives. God asks us to give the first 10% of our income because He wants us to trust that He will take care of us. It’s a sign that we recognize that our real source is God. The truth is, most of us trust our money more than we trust God. Tithing is God’s process to reverse that way of thinking.
Don’t think money is a big deal to you? Just let someone try to take your money. I bet your reaction would tell the truth. The wisest man next to Jesus wrote about trusting God with our money because God takes care of those who do. Maybe we should stop asking the question “Why should I tithe?” and start asking “Why not?” Which way do you lean?