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AUTHOR: Aniel Barbe
Provider of All
Appeal: Philippians 4: 19
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
We give a tithe of all because our Lord is the Provider of all. After His victory against a powerful coalition, Abram gave a tithe of everything—food, goods, and possessions—to Melchizedek the priest (Gen. 14). Jacob, Abram’s grandson, promised to return a tithe of everything (Gen. 28). Leviticus 27:30 speaks about a good and acceptable tithe: “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.” (Emphasis supplied.) Jesus Himself acknowledged that tithing was giving “a tenth of all I get” (Lk. 18:12) and from the minutest gain (Matt. 23:23a). What could be the reason for this emphasis on tithing everything?
This real value of tithe is not monetary but symbolic. It reminds us to acknowledge and remember God as the Giver of all: “He asks us to acknowledge Him as the Giver of all things; and for this reason He says, of all your possessions I reserve a tenth for Myself, besides gifts and offerings, which are to be brought into My storehouse” (Counsel to Stewardship, pp. 80–81). A partial tithe would mean that God is the Giver of only part of what we need.
A well-known trust game, the blind swing, helps us to understand the value of depending on God as the Giver of all. In this game, you close your eyes and allow two individuals to swing you back and forth. After some time, you experience the peaceful sensation that results from complete trust. This is only possible when you keep your eyes completely closed and choose not to peek from time to time. Perfect peace is the outcome of perfect trust. In a world of uncertainties and confusion, the exercise of tithing from everything, an apex of total dependence, will contribute to our inner peace. Which message is your tithing practice sending to your brain and heart? This week, as we worship with our tithe and regular offerings, we can grow in heavenly peace.
Prayer: Lord, we praise You because in You there is perfect peace. Help us to regularly acknowledge You as the Giver of all through our tithe, gifts, and offerings