FAITHFUL LIVING
Kendra Intihar
Today's Scripture: “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?” 1 Luke 16:10-11, ESV
Theme: How we use our finances and resources now shows whether we can be trusted with more in the future.
ONE EXCEPTION
The Bible repeatedly admonishes us, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test…” (see Luke 4:12; Deuteronomy 6:16; Matthew 4:7), but God makes one, single, solitary exception to this rule: tithing. “Test me in this [that is: tithing],” He says in Malachi 3:10 (NIV), “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be enough room to store it.”
BECAUSE HE LOVES US
So deep is God’s desire for us to experience the freedom of giving by faith and trusting Him to provide for us that He quite literally asks us to test His provision with our tithes. This is something completely unprecedented throughout Scripture. He longs to honor our generosity by bringing us provision that will amaze us – by filling our storehouses so full that we won’t have room to contain it all.
MAKE A START
Test God with this. Make a start by acting in faith, sharing with God your fears and your needs, putting your gift into His hands. Jesus also tells us in Luke 16:10 that if we are faithful in the little things, God will give us the opportunity to be faithful in bigger things.
Make It Personal: Begin this week to test the Living God. Give Him the opportunity to show you that if you are faithful to tithe, He will, “Throw open the floodgates of Heaven” on behalf of your finances.
Pray: God, You know this is a hard area. It doesn’t seem “little” to me to give up “my” hard-earned income. Yet I know it all comes from You ,and I will try to be faithful, starting in this area. Help me lay my gift at Your feet, expecting and trusting You to meet all my needs. I will be faithful, because You, my Father, are always faithful! In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.
Read: Malachi 3:8-10; Hebrews 13:5; Proverbs 3:9-10
Weekly Memory Verse: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8, ESV