A Test

‘The Lord All-Powerful says, “Try this test. Bring one-tenth of your things to me. Put them in the treasury. Bring food to my house. Test me! If you do these things, I will surely bless you. Good things will come to you like rain falling from the sky. You will have more than enough of everything’ Mal.3:10 [ERV].

In the Bible, numbers mean different things. One is the number for unity – one God the Father of all. Two is the number for witness – in the mouth of two or more witnesses. Three is the number for the Godhead, the Trinity. Four is the number for balance. Five is the number for grace. Six is the number for man. Seven is the number for perfection. Eight is the number for new beginnings. Nine is the number for fruitfulness. Ten is the number for testing. Tithe is a tenth. God says test Me in this. It is a test for you and it is a test for Him. He wants you to test Him and He is testing your heart. God sent ten plagues to Pharaoh to test him. God tested ten virgins for wisdom and foolishness. How many leapers did Jesus heal and test for gratitude. How many commandments did God give? Ten. How many wives should a man marry to test him? Only one! One is enough for a man to undergo proper testing. Ten is the number for testing.

In the course of my conversation with two young men, the subject of tithing came up. Apparently they had not been tithing and one actually said that God had shown him in a dream that he was stealing from God. So he said he wanted to start tithing immediately. I said to him “you do not worship in God’s Favourite House so go and tithe in your local church”. He said what if he wants to bring the money to God’s Favourite House. I said, your tithe belongs to your local church. Some people say they divide their tithe and give a portion to orphans. That is not tithing; it is benevolence. God expects us to be benevolent. ‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house…’ Mal.3:10 [NIV]. Your whole tithe belongs to your local church. I will deliberately give more and more and more. I will not eat more and more and more. When God has blessed your family because He will and when God takes you to a higher level of blessing, you do not have to increase your level of living. Maintain your current level of living so that you can give more and more. Does that make sense to you? Don’t get me wrong; it is not that I don’t want you to buy that blackberry. Please buy it, then what? God will bless you with more – don’t change your phone again. Is that a good deal? This is so that you can have more and more and more to give.

Prayer: Father, please teach me to give more and more and more so that Your Name will be glorified, in Jesus Name.