God's Word"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me. But you ask, 'How do we rob You?' In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse-the whole nation of you-because you are robbing Me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."
Malachi 3:8-10
You sent me aid again and again when I was in need. . . . And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:16, 19
But just as you excel in everything-in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us-see that you also excel in this grace of giving. . . . For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
2 Corinthians 8:7, 9
Live It
Imagine this: You've just won a million dollars. What will you do with it? Take a minute to think up a short list of things you'd do with the cash.
Did you consider giving some to your church? How much would you give? A hundred grand? A couple hundred?
Take a look at your church's budget sometime. Look at all the things your money is contributing to. The ministries, mission opportunities and church activities are all important to God because they help His people in many ways. Does your church financially support a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter? Your money helps with that. Does it provide help for people who have fallen on hard times and can't pay their bills? Your money helps with that. Does your church plan outreach activities so members of the congregation can invite their non-Christian friends to church? Your money helps with that.
Giving our money is what you might call a "spiritual discipline." It's a way for us to honor God and give Him back some of what we have because we recognize all the good He has done for us. It's also an act of trust, showing Him that you trust Him to keep providing for you. Giving is actually part of the process of getting to know God better. The more cash we surrender, the more we understand the sacrifice that God gave for us.
Okay, so you're not into giving away your cash. It's not something you feel ready to do.
Fine. But think about this.
What if you gave two dollars each Sabbath during worship? In one year, you'd have given over $100 to your church. Believe it or not, for some church budgets an extra hundred bucks is a lot of money. Now let's say you made a pact with three of your closest friends to each give just two dollars each Sabbath. At the end of the year, $400. See how it multiplies?
Don't you think your church could use an extra $400 each year?
Look, you can make an impact. The more you get to know God, the more you realize that giving is an act of knowing Him. His Love reached out to us and saved us. Our loving response to Him is to give something back to Him so our cash can make a difference in the lives of others.
Pull out your wallet. Unzip your purse. God wants to do a huge work with your measly two bucks. But He needs you to give it.
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