Money and how we spend it is just as important to God as it is to us. There is more written in the book of Proverbs about money than any other subject. It can prove to be a blessing in our lives or a snare to us. And it’s our attitude toward it that determines how we use it in this life.

Note: All our money and possessions belong to God and it is He who gives it to us. He wants us to trust in Him to provide for our needs not in ourselves.

Note: It is easy to fall into the trap of pursuing money to the exclusion of everything else in our life. Many people live as though money was the chief concern in this world. And eventually everything else gets crowded out, especially our faith and trust in God. This is one thing we must guard against.

Note: The world says to hold on to as much as possible, but God blesses those who give freely of their possessions, time and energy. When we give, God supplies us with more so that we can give more. In addition, giving helps us gain a right perspective on our possessions. We realize they were never really ours to begin with, but they were given to us by God to be used to help others.

Note: The money we decide to give to others should be considered as a gift, not a loan. Therefore we should make sure that we can afford to give such a gift in case there is no repayment.

Note: The “first fruits” refers to the practice of giving to God’s use the first and best portion of the harvest. (Deuteronomy 26:9-11) Many people give God their leftovers. If they can afford to donate anything, they do so. These people may be sincere and contribute willingly, but their attitude is nonetheless backward. We need to give God the first part of our income. This demonstrates that God, not possessions, have first place in our lives and that our resources belong to him and that we are only managers of God’s resources. Giving to God first helps us to conquer greed, helps us to properly manage God’s resources, and opens us up to receive God’s special blessings.

Note: The people of Malachi’s day ignored God’s command to give a tithe of their income to His temple. They may have feared losing what they had worked so hard to get, but in this they misjudged God. “Give, and it will be given to you,” He says in Luke 6:38. When we give, we must remember that the blessings God promises are not always material but He always keeps His word.

Note: When Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land, each tribe was given a portion of land as its inheritance. The only exception to this was the tribe of Levi. As the priests, they were to spend their full time in serving the Lord. They were given no land to farm, only cities to live in. The other eleven tribes gave one tenth of their income, or increase, to support the Levites for God’s work.

Note: When we give our tithe we are supporting the clergy so that the gospel of Christ can go forward. In this, we are honoring God and His work in our lives.

Conclusion: Money is NOT the root of all evil, it is the LOVE of money that is evil. Money is a necessary commodity that we all need in our life. And God blesses us with money so that we may be a channel of blessing to others. And when the funds flow freely from our hearts so will the blessings of God flow freely to us and through us.