“Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”
“But a firstborn of animals, which as a firstborn belongs to the LORD, no man may dedicate; whether ox or sheep, it is the LORD’s.”
“ Out of all the gifts to you, you shall present every contribution due to the LORD; from each its best part is to be dedicated.”
“For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord,”
Malachi 3:6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 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?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 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. 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. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.
1 John 3:17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
1 Corinthians 16:2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.
Haggai 1:9 You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.
Giving is one of the blessings God allows us to share. He supplies and then tells us to set aside the first of it and be prepared to give it to our church and those in need. Yet scripture is clear on man’s heart. We choose to serve ourselves first and God and others second with what is left over. However God expects us to give first. Many go through life without knowing the true blessings that comes from a heart desire to humbly serve God through giving. We are not to give out of our excess but out of what comes in first. The guide for us is to give 10% to support ministry (our church) and then above this offerings of thanks, and then contributions for those in need. (those special needs that others have and that God is leading you to give towards.) You can hear His whispers of guidance in giving if your heart is set to listen. If we follow this guidance with a single purpose in our heart to honor Him, blessings flow. Purpose to give of your firsts.