~ Church Offering ~

[Lani]

Leviticus 27:30-33
30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD's: it is holy unto the LORD.
31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.
32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.
33 He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.


God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NRSV)




Upon completing my graduate studies, I got a teaching job at a well-known international school in Bangkok. My salary was several times higher than a teacher from the local school would earn.

At church, I enjoyed Sunday gatherings and worship; but when it came to giving one-tenth my income to the Lord, I was reluctant. One-tenth would be a large amount, so I offered what I thought was enough. Over the years, I accumulated my savings in the bank and later invested in stocks.

Then came an economic crisis. The stock market plunged. Not only did my stocks go down in value, but two companies that were a major part of my stock investment went bankrupt. After all the hard work of teaching for years, I lost most of what I had invested. Then I regretted not offering my tithe to my church. Had I regularly offered one-tenth of my salary every month, that sum would have been used for God's work.

I am now retired. My major source of income is an apartment I rent out. I have been faithfully offering one-tenth of my income to my church. Although tenants in my apartment come and go, the Lord has always provided for me sufficiently. God has blessed me in many ways.


Prayer: Dear God, open up our hearts to offer our best to you. Remind us that all our treasures are from you as we pray, “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.”* Amen.

Prayer Focus of Day: Retirees living on limited income

Thought for the Day: How much is enough to give for God's work?

Story shared by: D. Yeung (Thailand)
Source: Upper Room Daily Devotional: 9/7/11