Tithing As a Weapon of WARFARE-A personal testimony
I saw an article posted yesterday about why Christians do not need to tithe. It was posted by a friend whose relationship with the Lord I trust so I clicked through to read it. It was very logically written and had some valid points. They weren't saying not to give, just not to give according to the tithe. (Odd) As I prayed about it the Lord spoke VERY clearly to me throughout the day about what He has done in my life because I faithfully tithe. "The enemy was NOT ALLOWED to steal the fruit of my labor through mishaps, accidents, sickness, etc., for the Lord had rebuked Him."
I was a single, almost exclusively self-employed- mom for 14 years with virtually no child support. To say times were tough is an understatement. I've always known that the Lord provided in amazing ways but yesterday He showed me that one of the biggest ways that He showed His faithfulness regarding His promises about tithing was that He rebuked the devourer for me! He reminded me that I NEVER had car trouble, (in fact when my car got really old I was given a new one!) my appliances never broke down, I never got sick, nor did my children (we had no health insurance. Never even occurred to me that I needed it!) I lost my wallet once with all the money I had to my name in it as I prepared to buy Christmas presents for my girls and it was returned with the cash untouched to the store I was shopping in and hour later. The list goes on and on. The enemy was NOT ALLOWED to steal the fruit of my labor through mishaps, accidents, sickness, etc., for the Lord had rebuked Him.
And as I sat in Firestone getting an oil change yesterday the Lord showed me that my husband, his great job and generous heart toward me and my girls (treats them as his own) is a DIRECT blessing and reward from Him in response to my faithful years of tithing when things were so hard. I think I was of the mindset that tithing would bring actual instant cash, but instead what the Lord provided was a good, steady, peace-filled, LIFE. So incredible.
I believe that the tithe should be given to wherever one is learning the word of God from. Sometimes that is church, sometimes that is a direct gift to a friend, sometimes that is an independent ministry or even a musician that blessed us with deep, musical worship! I also believe that the tithe should be just the beginning of our giving, and that it should also include our time and talents. I know that even if I am wrong and the tithe did go away with Jesus, like the author of the article I read claimed it did, that God honors when we give it anyway. God blesses our wanting to give the tithe!
So are my finances perfect because I tithe? Nope-still working out the kinks and trying to get more understanding in the way I personally see and handle money. But oh my goodness has He rebuked the devourer from my life and provided abundant blessings! It is ASTOUNDING! And He will do the same for YOU. Go ahead, test Him.
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows."Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground;nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes," says the LORD of hosts."All the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land," says the LORD of hosts" Malachi 3:10-112 (Emphasis mine.)
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