Augustine once wrote, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in Thee.”
This is a very true statement. God created the universe in six days and rested on the seventh, so is it hard to believe He could love you regardless of your sinful life? He loved us enough to send Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins so we could be given His mercy and grace through that sacrifice. He even inspired the writers of the Bible to create it in such a way that it cannot be explained except by divine inspiration.
Take a look at this illustration and you can see His influence in it.
There is no other way to see His work in the writer’s hands except in this way.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/jer.29.11-13.KJV
These verses from Jeremiah are the most affirming statements of God’s love for us in the Old Testament. Other than the Savior giving His life on the cross to save our souls from hell, I can’t think of a better expression of His love for humanity.
The difference between who is doing the holding is that God won’t ever let go.
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. Malachi 3:10-11 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/mal.3.10-11.KJV
Our lives would be so much better if we would give God His tithe from your paycheck. The first ten percent of your money has always been God’s. Your money is given to you from the Father in heaven, don’t cheat Him out of blessing you. The problem with our interpretation of tithing is usually the last ten percent of our income or whatever is left after we pay our bills. God never asked for your leftovers, He wants the first fruits. The first ten percent before your bills get paid.
I know, today we have automatic withdrawals that take some of our income out even before we get it. But God deserves the first part, even if there has been some taken out. Truthfully, I’ve had trouble with this advice. I mean…life gets in the way sometimes and you just can’t give like you want to or rather in the way you know you should. God loves us and He takes care of us even when we don’t give the way we should but I think it would be much better if we did give our tithes the way the Bible tells us to.
I am going to begin to do this from this point on. I’ll let you know how His blessings flow.
The Living Message of Christ 