Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Malachi 3:10
He said to test Him, and I did!
One of the hardest ways to trust God is with our finances. While it’s often hard to trust Him with our finances, it’s also one of the purest means to see if He really is our Provider.
Growing up poor meant that money was often scarce, yet we always had clothes to wear and food to eat. We often wondered where the next meal would come from, but somehow, there was always a miracle that supplied our need. When we have nothing, we often see the hand of God more clearly. But what happens when we have been given much? Luke 12:48 says “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
When we are blessed, we move from a place of total trust to a place of total obedience. God continuously provides for us—often when we have the least—to show us that He is truly our Provider. Remember, He owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10) and has the resources to meet our every need. In your days of need, He provided. Now, what about in your days of great prosperity? He is the One who allowed it, so what is required? Simply—trust.
God has moved you from an “ask and trust” mode to a “give and trust” mode. The trust in Him as Provider never goes away. We trusted Him when we had little and must trust Him when we have much. Having wealth is a direct sign that God is entrusting you with more responsibility. Because He owns it ALL and provided it ALL, the ‘ALL’ doesn’t change when we receive more. What does change is His desire for us to be part of His work. This is why He instructed those with resources to test Him. The challenge we face is shifting from seeing God as the sole provider and owner of everything to viewing ourselves as the providers and owners of all things. This transition can lead us to doubt who God truly is, moving away from understanding Him as a loving provider. The Bible tells us that “He will never leave us or forsake us.” (Hebrews 13:5). Even when bad things happen, we can trust that the Lord will provide. Whether great prosperity or little, He tells us to trust Him. As we are given much, God says, “I trust you and the role you will take in My kingdom.” Scripture affirms that if we honor Him with the first fruits of ALL our crops/increase, our ‘barns’ will overflow. His provision, in the right hands, will create more increase.
Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine (Proverbs 3:9-10). He gave, we honor, and He gives more! He wants us to test Him in this. Why? It allows us to remain in that place of trust! Whether a lot or little, we can trust in our Heavenly Father! Those who grew up poor generally don’t want to be poor again. But while we were poor, we were rich toward God. The challenge is that when we become wealthy, we often lose our richness toward the One who allowed us to increase!So, how can we have both prosperity and a prosperous soul? Test Him with everything He gives you and see if He doesn’t show up.
Stephen L. Thomas, RTM