«Will a man rob God?» (Malachi 3:8).
In South America, it is common on Sabbath, as part of the worship service, to share the experience of various members of the church regarding faithfulness to God in tithes and offerings. The stories are amazing and not only show a God who prospers in the material, but who brings hundreds of blessings, all linked to the salvation of more people and the spread of the gospel. We do not preach a gospel of prosperity, but it is true that many people have flourished thanks to the management of their goods by following the biblical principles of stewardship; this is not only concerning tithes, but for pledges and offerings, as well.
Blessings are not always material, but obedience always brings its reward in itself and there is nothing like a clean conscience in this regard.
«If they choose, men may refuse to connect themselves with their Maker; they may refuse to give themselves to His service, and trade upon His entrusted goods; they may fail to exercise frugality and self-denial, and may forget that the Lord requires a return of what He has given them. All such are unfaithful stewards. A faithful steward will do all he possibly can in the service of God; the one object before him will be the great need of the world» (Counsels on Stewardship, ch. 17, p. 83).
I have several experiences that show absolute faithfulness on God’s part when we do our part and resolve to collaborate with Him and His eternal interests.
You probably saw the video of the boy who, moved by the stories of hungry children in a very needy country, decided to give everything he had—his meager two dollars—to meet the needs of twenty children. Sometimes we do not measure the value of what we have, nor do we measure the exponential value and use that God can give to our tithes and offerings.
If you have back tithe, ask God for help in repaying your debt in some way, and He will surely help you just as He did with Zacchaeus and so many others throughout history.
I encourage you to try Him in this and start collecting loyalty stories yourself. What if we gave more? What can you give today?
