ABSOLUTE COMPLIANCE OR NOTHING: Devotion for Tuesday August 9, 2016

ABSOLUTE COMPLIANCE OR NOTHING: Devotion for Tuesday August 9, 2016

Text: Leviticus 27:26 – 34                

Memory verse: Leviticus 27:30 – And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord.

For the past five days, we have been reading about reasons why we should pay our tithes. We saw five reasons why we should pay tithe. As a reminder, the five reasons are: A means of providing for the church, providing for the less privileged in the society, a means of insurance and assurance, covenant to receive more and a test of our obedience.

Tithing is an obligation on us Christians. It is not negotiable or optional just as we have in our memory verse for the day. In our text we have things that are God’s which cannot be redeemed. However, 27:31 says, “If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth to it.” Things or persons devoted are distinguished from things or persons that were only sanctified.

Devoted things were most holy to the Lord, and could neither be taken back nor applied to other purposes. Many of us no longer remember that we have fruit of the trees and the seed of the land belongs to the Lord. Presently, our emphasis is on money alone. For those who owe fruit bearing trees, you shouldn’t forget this instruction here. The essence of these laws is to help us acknowledge God as the owner of our land, the giver of its fruits, and ourselves as His tenants, and dependants upon Him.    

Many of the principles regarding sacrifices and tithes were intended to encourage inward attitudes as well as outward actions. The inward attitude include obedience, faith, dependence on God, etc while the outward action includes honour for God, dedication, commitment, etc. This teaches us to honour the Lord with our substance (Proverbs 3:9). If a person gives grudgingly, it shows that he has a stingy heart. God wants us to be cheerful givers (2 Cor. 9:7), who give with gratitude to Him. Remember, what God requires from us in tithes and offerings are obedience, gratitude and honour for Him. He doesn’t even eat or use them. They are reserved for His services.    

Food for Thought: Do you give grudgingly or cheerfully?

Prayer: Almighty God, help me to acknowledge and appreciate you as the source of all that I have and all that I am in Jesus name.

TITHING (TEST OF OUR OBEDIENCE): Devotion for Monday August 8, 2016

TITHING (TEST OF OUR OBEDIENCE): Devotion for Monday August 8, 2016  

Text: Deuteronomy 26:12 – 15          

Memory verse: Deuteronomy 26:14 – I have not eaten any of it when in mourning, nor have I removed any of it for an unclean use, nor given any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God, and have done according to all that you have commanded me.  

As we round off this special teaching about tithing, we shall be looking at the fifth reason why we should pay tithe. The fifth reason why we should pay tithe is because it is an act of obedience and love for God. Jesus said that if we love Him, we should keep His commandment (John 14:15).

Just yesterday, I read a post on Facebook where somebody was saying we should not pay tithe. Rather, we should give all we have to God as mark of love. He is not absolutely right because such teaching is not ideal. That the early disciple gave all as Luke recorded in Acts of the Apostles may not necessary translate to real giving all in the sense of it. For those of us who pay our tithe, our giving for the service of God does not stop at tithing. We give offering and support the work of God in various ways. So the most important thing is obedience to God’s instruction and leading about stewardship of what He has blessed us with.

What God demands from us is obedience and faith. “Obedience to God is the most infallible evidence of sincere and supreme love to him” – Emmons. In 1 Kings 3:4, Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings because he loved God. In act of obedience, Abraham took his only son Isaac to offer him according to God’s instruction. In Gen. 22:17 and 18, God pronounced blessings on Abraham because he obeyed.

Beloved, how do you obey God’s instructions especially in the area of tithing and offering? How do you demonstrate your love for God when you do not take His words seriously? There is nothing like partial obedience. Melchizedek blessed Abraham and he paid tithe. We should do likewise too. God has blessed us with time, money and other material things. If you love God, you should pay full complement of your tithe. Keeping back will attract God’s anger and it will be unbearable because you are stealing from God (Malachi. 3:8).

Food for Thought: True obedience neither procrastinates nor questions. – Quarles

Prayer: Increase my faith to obey you, O God, in the area of tithing and offering. 

TITHING (THE COVENANT TO RECEIVE MORE): Devotion for Sunday August 7, 2016

TITHING (THE COVENANT TO RECEIVE MORE): Devotion for Sunday August 7, 2016

Text: Malachi 3:10b – And try 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 such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.                    

Memory verse: v 10b

Outside provision of food for the house of God (the storehouse as we read on Thursday), provision of food/assistance for the less privileged (as we read on Friday) and insurance (as we read on Saturday), another reason why we have to pay tithe is because it is a covenant to receive more from God. He specifically challenged us to try Him about tithe payment. What this implies is that God assures us that He cannot lie (Titus 1:2) nor fail to fulfill what He has said. This is a challenge for us to try God and see if He can fail.

A story was shared by a Pastor of how a man started business with N100, 000:00 (One hundred thousand naira only) and in five years, the business grew to N1trn (One trillion naira). When he was asked about the secret of his sudden transformation and large business empire, he said that since he stated the business, he has been paying 90% gain as his tithe instead of 10% requested by God. And for this, God enlarged his coast and his business became an empire.

The above story confirms our bible reading for today. The above story is not a fable or fiction. God is God of multiplication. He assured us of plenty and increase when we pay our tithe (Prov. 3:10). Family Bible Note opined that “The reason why they (God’s people) so often walk mournfully before Him for a long time and receive no answer, is, that they have, like Ananias and Sapphira, kept back part of the price.” When we meet God with our tithes, He meets us with blessings by giving us more. When we are faithful in doing so, God will be faithful in performing all that He has promised us. My beloved in Christ, please give this a consideration if you have not been doing it and see if God can lie.

Food for Thought: Are you willing to try God by being faithful in your tithe?

Prayer Point: Teach me, O God, to know that all I have are gifts from you and inspire me to use them rightly in Jesus name.

TITHING (INSURANCE AND ASSURANCE): Devotion Saturday August 5, 2014

TITHING (INSURANCE AND ASSURANCE): Devotion Saturday August 5, 2014

Text: Malachi 3:11 - And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," says the Lord of hosts                  

Memory verse: Malachi 3:11

Tithing is a way of insuring our lives and barring the devourer from coming near us. One of the greatest evil that can befall a farmer is if, after planting, the Lord’s army (Joel 2:25) come visiting and devour everything in the farm. This shows that God can withdraw His protection and we will be prone to attack of the enemies. The devourer as used here means “All kind of devourers; the locusts, the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, which though they are in incredible multitudes, yet a rebuke from God will check them all at once, as if they were but one” according to John Wesley Notes.

The devourers mentioned above are connected to farming. Other devourers may be armed robbers, kidnappers, sickness, failure, termination of appointment, failure in business, revocation of contract, etc. These are devourers that God promises to rebuke on our behalf when we are obediently paying our tithe. It means that when we are faithful in paying our tithe, God will prove His faithfulness in keeping the enemies at bay.

Another thing worthy of note in this Malachi 3:11 is assurance of continuous productivity of our farm produce. Outside insurance, God also assures us of regular and constant productivity. This is what tithing does for us. In the case of farmers, I have seen cases where people’s products in the farm were destroyed by rodents, fire and other animals that what they thought would have yielded for them will be eaten by animals. As mark of your obedience and faithfulness, God will bless the land where you cultivate, your business and all you lay your hand will prosper. If you desire to have the insurance and assurance of God, then pay your tithe faithfully and leave the rest for God.

Food for Thought: When we are faithful and obedient to God through our tithes, He keeps the devourers at bay.

Prayer: Almighty God and our Father, as I obediently pay my tithe faithfully, remember your covenant, in respect of paying tithe. Insure me and assure me of your providence and protection.

TITHING (PROVIDING FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGED): Devotion for Friday August 5, 2016

TITHING (PROVIDING FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGED)   Friday August 5, 2016

Text: Deuteronomy 26: 12

Memory verse: Deuteronomy 26:12 – When you have finished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year-the year of tithing-and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled

In Deuteronomy 14:28 and 29 we have a vivid description of what is expected of the Israelis in respect of tithing. Tithing is also meant to provide for the less privilege in the society like the fatherless, widows, stranger and above all, the Levites. Yesterday, we read that tithing is a way of providing food at the storehouse in the temple. Tithing does not end at bringing your produce to the priest in the temple or paying the money. There are some other things expected of us if we are to reap the full benefit of tithing.

Deuteronomy 26:15 specifically speaks of the kind of prayers that should be said after paying tithes. It demands, asking for God’s blessing on you and the land from where you harvested what you sow as tithe. The land as used here in reference to your means of livelihood includes; your office, business, your career and wherever you make your living. Negligence of doing this may cause us our reward. Remember Daniel 10:12–14. Whenever you sow seed, pay tithe, give alms or give your offering, always back it up with prayers so that your reward will not be hindered. That prayer is as necessary as the paying of tithe itself. Therefore don’t be too nonchalant about it.

Beloved in Christ, do you remember the less privilege in your neighbourhood as you harvest your farm produce or receive your salary? Do you make regular provision for them or you remember them only once in a year probably during Christmas? It ought not to be so. We should have them in our schedule of things. It is our duty to provide for them as you receive your monthly income. If not, repent now and start. It is better late than never.

Food for Thought: Consider what can you do to assist the less privileged in our society outside tithing?

Prayer Point: Grant me the grace, O Lord, to start assisting the less privileged. Help me to be faithful in taking care of them that I cross their way in Jesus name.

SECRET OF ABUNDANCE 4 (TITHING): Devotion for Sunday February 28, 2016

SECRET OF ABUNDANCE 4 (TITHING): Devotion for Sunday February 28, 2016

Text: Malachi 3:7 – 12                    Memory verse: v 10

Many Christians go about these days in sorrow and poverty because they have refused to apply God‘s basic principle of living in abundance. For the past 3 days, we have seen some of the secret of abundance and today we have another secret. Abundance is never through anointing. It doesn’t come through fasting and prayer. It comes through practice. According to Family Bible Notes, “When God's people meet Him with all the tithes in their hands; He meets them with His abundant blessing. The reason why they so often walk mournfully before Him for a long time and receive no answer, is, that they have, like Ananias and Sapphira, kept back part of the price.” God threw a challenge to us to try Him by paying our tithe. Tithing should not be selective. When we do it whole heartedly, the reward will be outstanding. I have tried this and have seen the reward of it.

Many people are usually afraid they may not survive the month when they remove one tenth of their income. Expression of fear is a trick of the devil to deny you the blessings that goes with tithing. What God needs here is our obedience. This is the message in Leviticus 26. God doesn’t need our tithe to be God. He gave the command to test our obedience and love for Him. How much do you love God? Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandment.” Are you doing that?

Food for Thought: Love for God is seen in our obedience to His command

Prayer: My God and my Father, help me to be faithful in paying my tithe.