SCRIPTURE:

For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord…” (Genesis 18:19)

DEVOTIONAL:

Tithing is for the believer today. However, it is not to be done by the works of the law, but by faith. Scripture tells us, “Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man…” (1 Timothy 1:9). One of the reasons God chose Abram (Abraham) was because he would teach his children (Genesis 18:19). Abraham taught his family the things God taught him, which we can clearly see in the life of Jacob who said to God, “And of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth (tithe) unto thee” (Genesis 28:22). There is some dispute among theologians whether this is referring to the tithe or an additional offering. The point is Jacob knew about the tithe.

We see the evidence of tithing even in the time Jesus walked the earth. “But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone” (Luke 11:42). Notice, Jesus told them not to leave the other undone. Jesus was saying don’t stop tithing.

The tithe acknowledges God as the Sovereign God, the “I Am,” God as person, eternal, self-sufficient, and self-contained. It says that we are stewards over the earth and we are under His Lordship.

PRAYER:

Dear Father, I praise You as the Sovereign God, the great “I Am,” and I call You, Lord of my life! I purpose to be faithful in tithing—not by the law but by faith—to honor You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

This devotional is excerpted from Dr. Bill Winston’s book, The Power of the Tithe. Discover how you can live an abundant and protected life! To order this must-read book, click here.

Listen to this devotional here.