When my husband and I were first married, we automatically agreed to give the first fruits of our income to the Lord.  As believers in Jesus, our parents, no matter what the situation, ingrained in us the importance of living within our means and obeying God’s command to tithe.  With that, they stressed that in doing so, the joy and blessing are many.  

A tithe, in the Old Testament, is a tenth of your first fruits. In the book of Numbers, we learn that God commanded that the Tribe of Levi would be responsible for implementing the duties related to the Tabernacle.  In chapter 18, God commanded a Levite’s means for support would not include a plot of land, but rather, come from the tithes God commanded from the Israelite people.  The Levites, in turn, were commanded to give a tenth of what they received to the Lord as a sacred offering. In Matthew, Jesus said, ”if you love me, keep my commands.”  He also said, “Give unto Cesar what belongs to Cesar and unto God what belongs to God.”

There were many years when my husband’s job was threatened. I was not working at the time and we had three young children.  One of my greatest fears was not being able to make ends meet.  Things were looking dark, and after a very hard day, I was filled with overwhelming anxiety.   I was making dinner and opened my pantry door and the closet was full.  God’s promise to provide was staring me in the face and I was reminded that I needed to lean hard into that promise.  There continued to be a number of years of financial uncertainty and many years of change for both my husband and I. Through it all, we continued to tithe, we paid our bills, the pantry remained full, we made the renovations needed on our homes, and raised three children (all who attended college).  God’s promise to provide always rang true.  Best of all, I look back, and with confidence can say, I have personally tasted the joy David talked about after experiencing God’s goodness to our family.

God is in the business of teaching us to trust in His goodness as he changes the hearts and minds of believers.  The change doesn’t happen until we give to him all of ourselves, including our financial needs.  God used our tithing as a means to obey His commands and trust God’s promises.  The more we obeyed and trusted Him, the more we experienced that God stands behind what He says in scripture. 

I do not promote the prosperity gospel, by no means, but have learned, with thanksgiving, to obey and trust God with our finances.  Tithing has been a  means that God used in our lives to live within a budget, and to take the scary steps forward, as we trusted in God’s leading.  These skills are life skills I consider to be a gift from the Lord.  

Lastly, I was reading a book that includes two chapters on God’s love and God’s goodness.  So many of the scripture verses were ones that I devoured during those years of financial uncertainty.  While reading, the verse that struck me again was Psalm 34:8.  It reads,  “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh the joys of those who take refuge in Him.”  I realized, after reading the author’s story, that the verse is actually a challenge. Taking refuge in God does not only mean refuge for our safety but also for His promises to provide in all things.  For some, it might be stepping into a new job we think would be impossible.  For me, it was going back to work when my oldest son was two years old because we needed a new roof, and after being a stay-at-home mom for over 15 years.  I had to work and both times, I moved forward with utter fear and trepidation.  God led me to unimaginable places and provided me with professional opportunities and financial blessings that I could never, in a million years, have imagined. 

Does tithing present as a financial challenge for you?  Remember, God uses your tithes to support His church, proclaim the gospel, and help a needy world.  If you consider these things as important to God and His son, Jesus Christ, I encourage you to take refuge in God’s promises to provide.  It is only joy, when you experience His Goodness, Love, and Unmeasurable power.