Today’s
Scripture Reading (June 13, 2012): Exodus 25
I believe in the tithe, the giving of ten percent of our income to the
God through the church. I think that it is not just an archaic Old Testament
phenomenon, but economically it is the way that God has designed us to operate.
I sincerely believe that everything financially works better if we follow the
plan that God has intended for us. And yes, that means that the church has the
responsibility to use that money to support the purpose of making this world a
better place. If those of us who believe in God’s way could only learn this one
truth, we could see a massive change in this world. But what I do not believe is
that the tithe is the pinnacle of what are to do with our money. The pinnacle
is when we learn to be generous with everything that we possess.
In regards to our money, that is what God has asked us to be – generous.
God requires us to be willing to use what he has given to us and change this
world one person at a time. It is not just ten percent, it is an attitude that
considers everything that we possess to be God’s – and we are just his
stewards.
God instructs in the very beginning that the Israelites should bring
their offering to God. And from these offerings a change would start in Israel.
Their relationship with God would be much more than just a personal association.
As the tabernacle (and later the temple) was built with all of the things that
went with it, Israel gained a sense of nationhood that they would never have
known without God. It changed the way that they would walk into the future –
and the way that a nation would care for the less fortunate among them.
We may not live in the same kind of theocracy that was ancient Israel,
but God’s expectation is still the same. We will identify with God through our
giving and through the way that we spend what we have to take care of the poor
among us, and as a result our world will be forever changed.
Tomorrow’s
Scripture Reading: Exodus 26
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