Give Generously...From Your Joy

2 Chronicles 31:6-8 -  The men of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah also brought a tithe of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things dedicated to the LORD their God, and they piled them in heaps.  They began doing this in the third month and finished in the seventh month.  When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the LORD and blessed his people Israel.

 

Hezekiah looked at the huge number of priests that had just gathered to help with the Passover and remembered the part of God’s law that called for the people to provide for them.  He provided from his own flocks the needed morning and evening sacrifices to God…then called for the people to begin to bring the tithe that would provide for the priests and their families.

 

The deep joy they had received from God overflowed back to him in tithes.  Great piles of grain and fruit and honey…all the rich resources of the Promised Land God gave them were brought in great joy and gratitude to God. They gave generously…with no question that all he asked from them was exactly what they should give….and would be used to support his Temple servants.

 

It is a reminder to me of what giving should be.  God calls us to give a tenth…of the first fruits of our labor. We should tithe on the gross income…before anyone takes their cut of our check…not the net amount that we actually put in our bank account to pay the other bills.  We should write that tithe check in faith each week that God has plans for each penny he requires.

 

We shouldn’t worry that we won’t have enough for ourselves.  Our faith should be strong enough to know that God has plans for us…and will sustain us with what is left. Our gratitude and deep joy for everything he has done for us should spur us to give him even more…instead of trying to figure how much we can spare.

 

I can testify that since I started tithing from my gross income…and slipping a few extra gifts in each 2 week pay check to other ministries that the spirit laid on my heart to support….that my bank account has always been able to handle the bills and payments on even the bad financial decisions I made without God’s advice. I only have one explanation…that God is pleased with my heart to give him all and more than he asks…and he covers me and blesses me with more than enough than I need.

 

Father…I thank you for the reminder to keep my heart so full of love and joy for what you have done in my life…that I can’t help but give you back more than you ask to support my church and the missions they support each month. Forgive me for ever thinking that I had a choice in how much I gave back to you…for ever thinking that anything I had ever belonged to me at all.  Keep pouring joy into my heart so that it overflows every direction I go.  Thank you for loving me in spite of my grudging heart….and changing me into someone who loves to give. Amen.