You must set aside a tithe of your ...
grain, new wine, olive oil, and
the firstborn males of your flocks and herd.
Doing this will teach you always
to fear the Lord your God.
Deuteronomy 14:22-23
Why does God ask the Israelites -- and us -- to tithe?
He doesn't need olive oil, and in heaven he has no need of a few extra goats. He is literally self-sufficient. He can part Red Seas, build nations, and breathe life into dust to create as many sheep as he wants.
God doesn't need us to give. WE NEED US TO GIVE.
In a very real sense, we need food and money to survive. But tithing points us to the bigger reality. This world and its necessities will inevitably pass away, but our real need will endure. And what we really NEED is God!
Tithing is counter-intuitive. It thumbs its nose at the logic of the world. And it trains us, instead, to quit focusing on the temporary and trust in God for the eternal.
Are you tithing? If not -- and this is God's suggestion, rather than mine -- if not, maybe it's time to ask what you really depend upon.
In Christ's Love,
a needy person
(we're all desperate
and only one thing truly satisfies)
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