Many years ago, when I was
still in college, with two babies in diapers, I was about as poor as
one can be in America, short of being homeless. I had been paying
tithe on my meager income for about two years by then. I really felt
that I needed the money more than God possibly could, but I chose to
give it anyway.
I remember one afternoon
sitting on the floor in my small apartment, holding a single dollar
bill in my hand, and crying. You see, it would be days before my
next check would arrive, and I was completely out of shampoo and
toilet paper. I would have to choose which one we needed most, and
wait on the other. What was I to do?
I had barely finished
praying, when God sent an angel in the form of a dear friend. She
came to see me, and she had with her the largest package of toilet
paper I had ever seen! (She had been shopping at a new place called
“Costco” and had picked up an extra, since it was on sale!). I
had never imagined that a blessing could come in the form of toilet
paper.
Now, I wouldn't want to
lead you to believe that God met my physical and financial needs
because I returned tithe. If that were the case, I could say that I
earned this blessing because of my faithfulness. It doesn't work
that way. Rather, God longs to pour out blessings on each of us in
every way possible. When we decide to stop holding back and to offer
Him the time (Sabbath) and resources (tithes and offerings) that He
asks of us, we receive an even bigger blessing than just having our
needs met. We ultimately develop a deep and trusting relationship
with God.
God did not need the few
dollars that I returned to Him when I was poor. What He really
wanted was my heart. When I made the decision to trust Him, even
when it didn’t make sense, He was able to show me who he really is,
and that was the true blessing!
