How to Prove that God is Real and Turn Your Financial Problems Around - Part 2
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”—Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
There is a way that each of us individually can prove that God is real and, at the same time, we can prove that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him! He has set up a way for us to test Him, and if we do it God’s way, He will prove Himself every time, without fail.
Maybe you have struggled to believe that God is real. You see the signs that God put in creation that give evidence of His existence, but you need something personal. You need personal evidence to prove to yourself that He is real for you. This test that God has set up can be the beginning of a lifetime of personal miracles that prove over and over that God exists for you.
The Test
The test that God has designed for us is found in Malachi 3:10-12 (NLV)
“Bring the tenth part into the store-house, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the Lord of All. “See if I will not then open the windows of heaven and pour out good things for you until there is no more need. I will speak sharp words to the destroyer for you, so that it may not destroy the fruits of the ground. And your vine in the field will be sure to give its grapes,” says the Lord of All. “All the nations will say that much good has come to you, for you will be a happy land,” says the Lord of All.
This is the test that God has laid out for us. If we put God to this test as He has described it, He guarantees that we will see results. He will provide evidence to prove that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. If we do our part, as God instructs us, then we can sit back and watch God respond to us, meet our needs, and turn financial problems around in our lives.
Our instructions are very clear: “Bring the tenth part into the store-house, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the Lord of All.—Malachi 3:10 (NLV)
We know from this and from other passages of Scripture that the tenth part He is speaking of is ten percent of our income. This is often called the tithe. It is ten percent of all we take in through our earnings, gifts, inheritance, and all forms of income. The “store-house” is the Church. It is the place of spiritual nourishment. It is where you are fed spiritually.
This is the challenge to us. If we will do our part by consistently giving God ten percent of all of our income (tithing), He will respond in amazing ways, proving to us that He exists and that He is a rewarder of all those who seek Him with sincere motives.
Breaking it down, this is how it works:
- We consistently give back to God 10% of all of our income by giving it to the Church.
“Bring the tenth part into the store-house, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the Lord of All.
- Watch as God makes sure that all of your needs are supplied, sometimes in remarkable ways!
“See if I will not then open the windows of heaven and pour out good things for you until there is no more need.”
- You will also see a decrease in unexpected expenses and unexpected losses, like unexpected, expensive repairs for things you own, unexpected medical expenses, and unexpected business losses.
“I will speak sharp words to the destroyer for you, so that it may not destroy the fruits of the ground. And your vine in the field will be sure to give its grapes,” says the Lord of All.*** ***“All the nations will say that much good has come to you, for you will be a happy land,” says the Lord of All.
The Destroyer
*“I will speak sharp words to the destroyer for you, so that it may not destroy the fruits of the ground.” *
This passage of Scripture is not using figurative language. There is a real spiritual being called the “Destroyer” or the “Devourer” who, if left unchecked will do whatever it can to consume your income through theft and unexpected losses due to business problems, repair costs, health problems and any other ways that it can. No doubt, you’ve been victimized by this “Devourer,” even if you haven’t recognized it as the source of these losses, unless you have been consistently giving your tithes to God throughout your life. When you withhold your tithes from God (10% of all of your income), this “Devourer” is unrestrained and free to take your money and possessions, leaving you with regrettable losses and making life more difficult than it has to be. When we pay our tithes to God, He rebukes the Devourer, effectively stopping him from victimizing you any longer.
In the days of Moses, God gave precise instructions to the children of Israel of what they must do to be assured that their homes would be protected from the Destroyer. When they followed God’s instructions, they escaped the problems that caused disasters for other families. Those who did not follow God’s precise instructions experienced the loss of their firstborn children and livestock.
“When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.”—Exodus 12:23 (NIV)
In a similar way today, our freedom from the destructive effects of this Destroyer (or Devourer) depends on us being diligent to follow the precise instructions that the Lord has given to us in Malachi 3:10-12.
Freedom from the “Devourer” is one of the greatest benefits of consistently tithing to God. You will notice that you have fewer unexpected repairs and other expenses that take your money. You will experience fewer unexpected financial losses, which will allow you to enjoy a better life, keeping more of the money that you have earned. You will have less stress in your life as you experience relief from financial pressures. This relief can improve your life in so many ways as you experience greater peace in yourself and in your family.
Whenever I hear someone complaining of the stress they feel because they can never seem to pay off their debts, or they constantly seem to be experiencing unexpected financial losses through repair bills, thefts, healthcare costs, or other circumstances, I can feel sure that they have not given God 10% of all of their income. The Devourer is free to wreak havoc in their lives unrestrained. And it could all be turned around so easily!
I have known people who took in tens of thousands of dollars, not only from income from their jobs, but also through creative fund-raising efforts, and yet they never seem to be able to get out of debt. They continually struggle financially. They may ask other people for help, but there is no point in giving money to help people meet their needs if they are not tithing. It is like tossing money down the drain. If they are not tithing, the Devourer will swallow their money through unexpected expenses, and they will never be able to get ahead financially.
“There is the one who [generously] scatters [abroad], and yet increases all the more; And there is the one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want and poverty.”—Proverbs 11:24 (AMP)
Why Does This Test Always Work?
This test always works because God is real, and God’s Word is always true. You can prove that with this test.
Several questions about tithing may have come to your mind as you read this.
What if I can’t afford to give 10%?
Didn’t tithing pass away with the Old Testament law?
When should I tithe?
Why should I tithe on gifts that I receive?
Should I tithe on my gross income before taxes, or on my net income after taxes?
This is my money that I earned. Why should I give any of it back to God?
We’ll take a look at these questions in other messages.