Corona Devo 535

Last Saturday we went to a flea market.  My daughter "hit the jackpot" when she found a family selling stuffed animals (the ones she collects!) for ten cents each.  For a grand total of two dollars, she walked away with two big bags and an even bigger smile.  She got blessed!  

Fast-forward to Sunday.  As our family scrambled in the morning hustle and bustle of getting ready for church, my husband paused to write our tithe check.

Our daughter, ever curious, sat next to him at the table, eating her bowl of raisin bran.  She "took in" the process, and asked a lot of questions as she sought to understand "Who Daddy was giving money to?".

Flitting around, I didn't hear the whole thing, but I was aware of my husband explaining to her what the Bible says about tithing.  I found out later that she was listening.

If we have been "flitting around" in our spiritual disciplines and "haven't heard the whole thing" about what the Bible says about giving back to the Lord, maybe it's a good idea for us to sit down at "God's table" and review.  The bowl of raisin bran is optional, but honoring God with our hearts and heaps (of all He's provided for us) shouldn't be.  

The word "tithe" comes from the root idea/meaning of "a tenth", and it is a Biblical teaching and God's idea that we should give a tenth of our income and bounty back to God, in realization and appreciation of Him giving/providing all of it to us in the first place. (Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights... ~James 1:17). 

In the old (Bible) days, people grew the food that they ate, and out of that harvest God established a rule to honor Him and the truth that He brings the harvest: “Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.” (Deuteronomy 14:22).

Even those of us with green thumbs aren't reaping all of our food from a field, but God's principle remains the same in terms of the bounty that comes into our homes.  "Be sure to set aside a tenth..."

After Jacob awoke from a dream where God had foretold him of the many blessings and descendants that would come in his life, Jacob (a man of God) committed himself to the Lord and to honoring Him with a tithe: And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”  ~Genesis 28:22

Jacob got it.  He understood God's idea and the intent of tithing: to honor God with what He has entrusted us with.  

 

“One-tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord and must be set apart to him as holy."  ~Leviticus 27:30

Then Abraham took a tenth of all he had captured in battle and gave it to Melchizedek. ~Hebrews 7:2

“Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” ~Matthew 22:21 

These are just a few places in the Bible that teach us about tithing, but I have come to realize that it is not usually an educationally-challenging idea for believers to master.  It is also (at the core) not often a financial challenge that prevents people from tithing.  The biggest barrier in giving back to God is usually a heart issue in our understanding/appreciating/accepting that all that we have is on loan to us from God.

And when that "piece" of the equation is missing, then the "math" of tithing never works out, because (in our pride) we feel that all that we have is ours.  When in (Biblical) reality, it is actually all God's, and yet (in his grace) He has chosen to bless us with it for a while.  

But the (neat) thing about this non-math and all-heart equation is that if we can "get" it/understand it/apply it to our lives and hearts, then the Lord brings (even more) blessings into the equation of our lives.

Tithing is actually the only time (that I know of) that God ever challenges His children to test Him:

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.  ~Malachi 3:10

“Honor the Lord with your substance…so shall your barns be filled with plenty.” ~Proverbs 3:9-10

"God's math"  in this is a crazy equation--if we will honor Him, He blesses us.  

Just as our daughter had questions, it is fair for our hearts and minds to inquire "Who are we giving money to?".

But if we have spent our lives "flitting around" the spiritual discipline of tithing, it has been good to sit down today at "God's table" and review.  

Count off every tenth animal from your herds and flocks and set them apart for the Lord as holy.  ~Leviticus 27:32

I hope that we are listening.  I found out that our daughter was.  As we walked into church, she pulled out two dollar bills that she had fished out of her piggy bank to give as a "tithe" in gratitude for the stuffed animals (herds and flocks) she had gotten at the flea market.  I am not sure how the financial math of that works out, but I felt that her heart-math was perfectly calculated.  

She had listened and understood the importance of giving back to God.  

I want to do that too.

Each of our herds and flocks will look different, but if we are honest, God has been very good to us.  It is right to honor Him with our hearts and heaps.  

Last Saturday we went to a flea market.  My daughter "hit the jackpot" when she found a family selling stuffed animals (the ones she collects!) for ten cents each.  For a grand total of two dollars, she walked away with two big bags and an even bigger smile.  She got blessed!  

Fast-forward to Sunday.  As our family scrambled in the morning hustle and bustle of getting ready for church, my husband paused to write our tithe check.

Our daughter, ever curious, sat next to him at the table, eating her bowl of raisin bran.  She "took in" the process, and asked a lot of questions as she sought to understand "Who Daddy was giving money to?".

Flitting around, I didn't hear the whole thing, but I was aware of my husband explaining to her what the Bible says about tithing.  I found out later that she was listening.

If we have been "flitting around" in our spiritual disciplines and "haven't heard the whole thing" about what the Bible says about giving back to the Lord, maybe it's a good idea for us to sit down at "God's table" and review.  The bowl of raisin bran is optional, but honoring God with our hearts and heaps (of all He's provided for us) shouldn't be.  

The word "tithe" comes from the root idea/meaning of "a tenth", and it is a Biblical teaching and God's idea that we should give a tenth of our income and bounty back to God, in realization and appreciation of Him giving/providing all of it to us in the first place. (Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights... ~James 1:17). 

In the old (Bible) days, people grew the food that they ate, and out of that harvest God established a rule to honor Him and the truth that He brings the harvest: “Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.” (Deuteronomy 14:22).

Even those of us with green thumbs aren't reaping all of our food from a field, but God's principle remains the same in terms of the bounty that comes into our homes.  "Be sure to set aside a tenth..."

After Jacob awoke from a dream where God had foretold him of the many blessings and descendants that would come in his life, Jacob (a man of God) committed himself to the Lord and to honoring Him with a tithe: And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”  ~Genesis 28:22

Jacob got it.  He understood God's idea and the intent of tithing: to honor God with what He has entrusted us with.  

 

“One-tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord and must be set apart to him as holy."  ~Leviticus 27:30

Then Abraham took a tenth of all he had captured in battle and gave it to Melchizedek. ~Hebrews 7:2

“Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” ~Matthew 22:21 

These are just a few places in the Bible that teach us about tithing, but I have come to realize that it is not usually an educationally-challenging idea for believers to master.  It is also (at the core) not often a financial challenge that prevents people from tithing.  The biggest barrier in giving back to God is usually a heart issue in our understanding/appreciating/accepting that all that we have is on loan to us from God.

And when that "piece" of the equation is missing, then the "math" of tithing never works out, because (in our pride) we feel that all that we have is ours.  When in (Biblical) reality, it is actually all God's, and yet (in his grace) He has chosen to bless us with it for a while.  

But the (neat) thing about this non-math and all-heart equation is that if we can "get" it/understand it/apply it to our lives and hearts, then the Lord brings (even more) blessings into the equation of our lives.

Tithing is actually the only time (that I know of) that God ever challenges His children to test Him:

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.  ~Malachi 3:10

“Honor the Lord with your substance…so shall your barns be filled with plenty.” ~Proverbs 3:9-10

"God's math"  in this is a crazy equation--if we will honor Him, He blesses us.  

Just as our daughter had questions, it is fair for our hearts and minds to inquire "Who are we giving money to?".

But if we have spent our lives "flitting around" the spiritual discipline of tithing, it has been good to sit down today at "God's table" and review.  

Count off every tenth animal from your herds and flocks and set them apart for the Lord as holy.  ~Leviticus 27:32

I hope that we are listening.  I found out that our daughter was.  As we walked into church, she pulled out two dollar bills that she had fished out of her piggy bank to give as a "tithe" in gratitude for the stuffed animals (herds and flocks) she had gotten at the flea market.  I am not sure how the financial math of that works out, but I felt that her heart-math was perfectly calculated.  

She had listened and understood the importance of giving back to God.  

I want to do that too.

Each of our herds and flocks will look different, but if we are honest, God has been very good to us.  It is right to honor Him with our hearts and heaps.  

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com

P.S. Yes, I washed the stuffed animals (hot water and double soak/double rinse cycles!