Does your action match your confession, or are you just saying words.
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Malachi 3:10 - 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.
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How often have you been in a church service, or viewing a minister on television, when the minister called everyone hearing to a point of confession? I’m not talking about confession of sins, but of the confession of the Word of God as a release of faith. I’ve been there often, and as an active member of the five-fold ministry, have often called for a confession of faith. It can be a real encouragement to those present, especially to those who take the words of their mouth seriously.
Following such a confession there is a wonderful opportunity to do more than merely speak your faith, but to put it to action, thus giving evidence of a living faith. Now allow me to be clear; as we deal with the human element we must realize that all of us have times of falling short, or missing the mark. Now I’m not talking about deliberate sin, such as choosing to go out and steal or commit adultery. What I am addressing at this point is our human failures to carry out our commitments. Among many other issues, it speaks to promising to tithe faithfully, but in difficult times withholding the tithe for personal reasons, while not knowing how to deal with this issue Biblically.
So there; I’ve said it. I know so many good people who love God and set out on a good intended course to tithe faithfully. But the loss of a job, or a larger-than-can-be-handled financial emergency, and one finds himself/herself facing the dilemma to tithe or not to tithe. Sadly, I have found that most people when confronting such issues don’t know what the Scriptures have to say about how to handle such a situation. Yet the Scriptures are plain about it. If you withhold any part of the tithe for a legitimate reason, it is called redeeming the tithe. In the end, the redeemed portion should be paid to the Lord with a one-time payment of 20% interest. To withhold and forget is robbery. Always tithe accurately. That means keeping records; knowing the condition of your flock (knowing your financial condition). It is called diligence and integrity. And God will honor such a person by lifting them above the challenge to victory.
Manna for Today - Deuteronomy 26:1-6; Genesis 14:18-20; Luke 11:42; Hebrews 7:1-9; Matthew 23:23; James 2:20-26; Hebrews 11:6; Hebrews 10:23; Leviticus 27:30-34
