When a young Christian couple gets married, one of the first difficult decisions a they face together is to make the decision to be faithful to tithe. Usually they don't have much money, and choosing to tithe means sacrificing other activities or purchases. The can be a very difficult struggle for some couples.
This is why my wife and I decided to make our tithe check the very first check that we wrote each month. In the Bible, this practice is called giving the first fruits of your earnings rather than giving your leftovers. It took no time at all for our faith to be challenged when our bills amounted to more than our money in the first few months of our marriage. If we chose not to tithe that month, we could pay our bills. Instead, we decided to trust that God would somehow provide and tithed according to our hopeful faith.
Moses was challenged in a similar way when the Israelites clamored for meat in the desert. Moses explained to God that there was simply more people than animals and no way to provide meat for that many people.
As God blew quail in from the sea, Moses learned once again not to underestimate the power of God's provision. For us, the little church where I served unexpectedly took up an offering that same evening that covered all of our bills with $3 to spare!
God, help me believe that You can meet all of my needs in every way. With this belief, give me the faith to be faithful in my giving to you. In Jesus name, amen.
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