Stop Thief!
You shall not steal. Exodus 20:15 NKJV
The eighth commandment is very straightforward and simple. Even an old country boy like me can understand it. And yet, we might stumble in our understanding if we fail to take a particular matter into account that is many overlook:
“Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You? In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation." Malachi 3:8-9
Have you every thought about the fact that failing to tithe is stealing from God? You might say, "Don't talk to me about my money...that is just way too personal." But Jesus talked about money and how our handling of it reveals a lot about our heart's condition. As a matter of fact, Jesus spoke more on the topic of money than he did about heaven and hell combined. There are more than 2000 verses in the Bible regarding money, but only about 500 on prayer and 500 on faith. Our stewardship of money is very important to God!
As for our giving, the truth about tithing is this....when we are faithful and obedient in the tithe:
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We are doing what God has asked of us
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We provide the resources for His work
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We testify to His faithfulness in our lives
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We honor Him and acknowledge that He is worthy of our worship
