Honoring through Trust
Exodus 35:20-29
The more passionate your faith, the more consistent your giving.
Moses stood before the hundreds of thousands of Israelites he had led through the desert and knowing the ups and downs he'd faced with them, he told them of the Lord's will for them to give of themselves, of what they had, of the few possessions they carried with them, to the Lord's tabernacle. Moses didn't know what would happen or how much the people would give. But one by one, the Israelites opened their hearts, and responding to God's working in their lives, they brought what they had and offered it to God. When asked to give to God's work, they willingly opened their hearts and gave sacrificially.
God is honored when His people give back to Him what He has given to them. As we've seen, the possessions we have are not ours, but simply entrustments from God. To show our love and honor for God, we give them back to Him.
First, we bring our tithe. The starting place for giving is found in Malachi 3:10, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse...." Because God has prescribed a base proportion of ten percent, tithing is not truly giving; it is bringing God what already belongs to Him. Biblical giving begins when one gives above the tithe.
Second, we give our offerings. Offerings are amounts we give above and beyond the tithe God asks for. While tithing is a show of obedience, giving is a show of love.
The word "offering" is found 724 times in Scripture. Stories are recorded of people who gave sacrificially, willingly, and abundantly. Not all gave large amounts, but every person who gave sacrificially honored God, for God counts sacrifice. Jesus pointed to the sacrifice of the widow who gave two mites and said that she gave more than the large offerings of the Pharisees (Luke 21:2-4).
The more passionate your faith, the more consistent your giving. God doesn't care about the size of your gift, but about the willingness of your heart. Do you trust God enough to make His work a priority in your giving? Step out by faith and trust that as you are faithfully, obediently, and sacrificially giving to God, He will bless you by providing for your needs.
Daily Bible Reading
Psalms 43-45 | Acts 27:27-44
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