Tithing Is An Opportunity To Trust God

It’s not surprising that tithing is one of the laws given by God that is kind of hard to follow. As we all know, a tithe is ten percent of our first fruits or, in our current context, our income or what we receive. Regardless of how much your income is, giving ten percent of it may feel like a heavy loss or a significant amount. As we all must give ten percent of what we have, we feel the loss equally. No one is more privileged because of how much they earn. However, it’s undeniable that tithing is still hard to do. Rest assured, though, that God, who is omniscient, knows the effect tithing will have regarding our financial circumstances. 

One may wonder why He instituted such a law if He knows we will have less and circumstances may be harder as a result of tithing. Well, there are a couple of reasons for tithing that we can see in the Bible. On one hand, tithing provided for the Levitical priests who could not provide for themselves since they were priests full time (Deuteronomy 14:28-29  At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, 29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.). On the other hand, God wants us to depend on Him and trust that He is faithful. As our Heavenly Father, He will provide for us. 

Tithing Is an Opportunity to Trust God

It’s no surprise that giving our tithe may mean making ends meets is even harder. After all, the money that is supposed to help you pay off bills, buy your family groceries, or perhaps pay off your children’s tuition fees will go to the Lord instead. However, when you’re giving, that is the moment God wants you to trust that He will provide for your very need. In Matthew 6:26, even Jesus tells the people that if God is able to feed and provide for the birds, how much more us, His sons and daughters? 

Tithing is an opportunity for us to trust God. And indeed, God wants us to trust Him on this and even assures us that He will never fail. (Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.) is the only verse in the Bible where God tells His people to test Him on that aspect. We know that we should not test God, but in tithing, God wants to assure us that He will provide. Therefore, He tells His people to test Him and that He will pour out blessings from heaven. The context of this verse was that the people of Israel were not able to give tithes to the Lord, and this was God’s response.

Tithing Is an Opportunity to Trust God

Even in the Gospel, Jesus wants His people to trust God. Jesus tells the people not to be anxious about tomorrow nor to be anxious about what to eat, drink, or wear. But instead, we ought to seek God and have faith in Him (Matthew 6:30-31 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’).

Tithing Is an Opportunity to Trust God