The Tithing Test | Generosity is our Joy

Devotional

Day 1: Tithing is the test of trusting God.

Remember that God does not change and calls his people back to covenant rhythms of obedience; bringing the full tithe is presented not as a burdensome rule but as a way to return to God, to stop robbing him of the joy of blessing his children, and to live on the premises of God's promises rather than the premises of self-reliance. This return is both a personal posture and a communal provision so that there may be food in God's house and so that God can open the windows of heaven over a people willing to trust him. [12:57]

Malachi 3:6-11 (ESV)
6 For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, "How shall we return?"
8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, "How have we robbed you?" In your tithes and contributions.
9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts.

Reflection: This week identify one recent paycheck and set aside 10% as your intended tithe; bring or set that tithe apart and pray, “Lord, I return this to you,” before the next Sunday.

Day 2: Tithe without neglecting justice and mercy.

Jesus cautions that obedience to ritual giving must never replace the weightier matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness—so true generosity includes both faithful financial giving and a life that pursues compassion and righteousness toward others; the tithe is a discipline that protects the heart from materialism but must be lived out alongside acts that reflect God's character in the world. [14:12]

Matthew 23:23 (ESV)
23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others."

Reflection: Identify one tangible act of justice or mercy you can do this week (visit, volunteer, give to a neighbor in need); schedule the time and include that act alongside your next tithe.

Day 3: Tithing is an offering to Christ.

Giving the tithe is not merely a transaction with a building but a declaration to the King—ultimately the tithe goes to Jesus—so when one brings the tithe into the storehouse, one is entrusting resources to the Lord through his people; that reality reorients the heart from ownership to stewardship and honors Christ as the living recipient. [43:38]

Hebrews 7:8 (ESV)
8 In the one case, mortal men receive tithes; in the other, he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.

Reflection: Before your next gift, write a one-sentence prayer aloud to Jesus acknowledging him as the true recipient of your tithe (e.g., "Jesus, this is yours; use it for your kingdom"), then complete your chosen method of giving (text, app, envelope) so the next contribution goes in His name.

Day 4: The tithe is holy and set apart.

The tithe is described in Scripture as holy to the Lord, a portion of the land's produce set apart; treating the tithe as sacred helps cultivate a posture of stewardship—recognizing God as owner and oneself as manager—and reminds the believer that seeds are meant to be sown, not devoured, trusting that God sustains and rebukes the devourer over what He calls holy. [35:12]

Leviticus 27:30 (ESV)
30 "Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the LORD's; it is holy to the LORD."

Reflection: Review last month’s bank statement, find one recurring expense you can reduce (subscription, dining out, etc.), and reallocate that amount to your tithe this month as a practice of setting apart the holy.

Day 5: God can pour out exceeding abundance.

God promises to open the windows of heaven when his people obey the test of the tithe, and He is able to do far more abundantly than we ask or think; when withholding restricts God's blessing, faith-filled giving creates space for God’s exceeding provision to move in ways beyond personal calculation, inviting believers to expect supernatural favor as they step into obedient generosity. [32:36]

Ephesians 3:20 (ESV)
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

Reflection: Pray about one “seemingly impossible” need in your life, give a sacrificial seed equal to 10% of one paycheck toward God’s work this week, and journal any signs of provision you notice over the next seven days.

Sermon Summary

All my life God has been faithful, and I want us to slow down long enough to remember it. As we lifted our hands and sang, I asked you to let your mind walk back through the year and name the mercies that kept you. Gratitude is not sentimental; it’s spiritual sight. When we remember, our faith rises to place a fresh demand on God’s presence and promises.

From there I honored your pastors’ Yes—because when God decides to build, He looks for agreement—and then I shared my own story. I learned tithing at a kitchen table with a checkbook, not an app. My parents didn’t just talk generosity; they modeled first-fruit obedience. That early imprint became a holy habit: the first belongs to the Lord. It wasn’t legalism—it was love and trust.

We opened Malachi 3 where God, right before 400 years of silence, says, “I the Lord do not change.” Israel had drifted into casual worship and withheld the tithe. The issue wasn’t God looking for revenue; it was a Father longing to bless but bound by His own Word. Withholding restrains what His faithfulness longs to release. Jesus later affirmed the tithe in Matthew 23:23—yes, do it—without neglecting justice, mercy, and faithfulness. In other words, tithing isn’t the ceiling of generosity; it’s the floor.

I contrasted the world’s economy with the kingdom’s. The world says, “I own it.” The kingdom says, “God owns it; I steward it.” Success isn’t accumulation; it’s faithfulness. Tithing has become, for me, a holy protest against greed—the clear declaration that what I have will never have me. The “curse” Malachi mentions isn’t God sniping us from the clouds; it’s the harvest of our choices. But the cross breaks every curse and opens a new way: bring the whole tithe, trust the covenant-keeping God who rebukes the devourer, and watch Him pour until there’s “no more need.”

Hebrews 7 says that though mortal men receive our tithe here, there He receives it—Jesus Himself. So we give to God through the local church; it’s a declaration of allegiance, not a transaction. My challenge: test the Lord in this, thank Jesus as the true recipient, and pray about your part in Legacy Builders. We are owners of nothing and stewards of everything—time, talent, treasure—for the fame of Jesus and the good of His house.

Key Takeaways

1. Remembering God’s goodness reawakens expectancy When we take inventory of God’s mercies, we recover spiritual clarity and courage. Remembering is not nostalgia; it’s fuel for faith in the present. Your future miracles are often tied to how you remember past deliverances. Gratitude positions your heart to receive again. [05:54]
2. The tithe is a trust test Every paycheck asks a question: do I trust God’s Word or my own calculus? Tithing turns belief into embodied obedience, where devotion has a date and an amount. It isn’t payment for blessing; it’s participation in a covenant. A faith that can be tested can be trusted. [43:01]
3. God’s unchanging statutes form our worship God’s immutability means His ways are not trendy—they’re trustworthy. The tithe is not a random rule but a covenant rhythm shaping our loves and loyalties. When we drift from His statutes, we inevitably shrink God down to convenience. Returning to His ways restores our reverence. [25:29]
4. Withholding robs God of blessing us God loves us, but He is supremely loyal to His Word. When our hands clutch what He calls holy, His hands are restrained from what He longs to release. The Father’s joy is to bless sons and daughters whose open hands mirror His open heart. Obedience widens the window of grace. [31:16]
5. You steward everything; you own nothing In the kingdom, security doesn’t rest on savings or status but on God’s covenant faithfulness. Seeing ourselves as stewards frees us from anxiety and greed while anchoring us in purpose. Ownership says “mine”; stewardship asks, “Lord, how?” That shift changes everything—how we give, save, spend, and serve. [40:28]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[04:31] - Singing of God’s Goodness
[07:12] - Come Holy Spirit Prayer
[12:18] - Reading Malachi 3
[13:35] - Jesus Affirms Tithing
[15:23] - Family Story: Tithing Modeled
[22:16] - Israel’s Apathy And Drift
[25:29] - God’s Immutability And Mercy
[29:22] - What “Robbing God” Really Means
[31:16] - Withholding Restrains God’s Blessing
[33:49] - Tithing: Holy Protest Against Greed
[39:51] - Stewards, Not Owners
[41:42] - Success Measured By Faithfulness
[43:38] - Jesus Receives Our Tithe
[48:01] - Invitation To Follow Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Malachi 3:6–12 (ESV) — 6 For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, “How shall we return?” 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, “How have we robbed you?” In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your ground, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.

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