“You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the LORD Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house.” Haggai 1:9
Back in the day, while living in Haiti and visiting the Lutheran schools and congregations in the nine Districts throughout the country, I was frequently asked by the Haitian District Presidents to give a message on Sunday morning to their congregation on the topic of tithing; not a great way to make friends by giving the ‘money message’ as called in the U.S., but it was a wonderful way to plant seeds and share in the joy of tithing and the realized blessings that always came following.
In my home congregation back in Lincoln, there was a man who always seemed to be angry at the world; angry at our country, angry at Christians, angry at God and the only time I remembered seeing him smile was when he stated that he had never given one dime to a congregation. He doesn’t understand that what he is withholding from God is preventing him from enjoying a fuller and happier relationship with our Heavenly Father and more abundant blessings.
The attached photo was taken at Bon Berger in Caredeux on a Sunday morning; this was my home congregation while living in Haiti. The average person in Haiti at that time, had an annual income of roughly $350 and I would try to sit in the rear of the Church on Sunday, not because that is how I was brought up as a German Lutheran, but I was curious to see what their offering plate looked like when it reached the last pew.
These people who had literally nothing to live on placed a few coins into the plate and to them, it must have been like you or I placing $500 in our offering plate. Our Heavenly Father's sovereign ways can cause our endeavors to succeed beyond our wildest dreams or they can defeat our plans to our own dismay and leave us looking for somebody to blame.
With a simple touch of His hand, God can steer our vessel into a profitable channel or He can allow it to run aground in poverty and bankruptcy. The Scriptures teach us that the Lord enriches the generous but leaves the miserly to discover that withholding their money only leads to poverty.
Over the years, the offering plate at Bon Berger got fuller and fuller and even had paper money becoming more prominent than coins; the congregation is being blessed. To the man that I spoke of earlier there is a verse in Matthew that says “Selfishness will always look first to its own home, but godliness will seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness." May your tithing be a joy and not a hindrance as you return a portion of your daily blessings to the One who gave it to you. I am closing today with the lyrics to the song “Thank you for giving to the Lord” that were written in 1988 and it brings a tear to my eye every time I hear it.
“I dreamed I went to heaven, and you were there with me. We walked upon the streets of gold, beside the crystal sea. We heard the angels singing, then someone called your name. You turned and saw this young man and he was smiling as he came. And he said friend you may not know me now and then he said but wait; you used to teach my Sunday School when I was only eight. And every week you would say a prayer before the class would start and one day when you said that prayer, I asked Jesus in my heart. Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am a life that was changed. Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am so glad you gave. Then another man stood before you and said remember the time, a missionary came to your church and his pictures made you cry. You didn't have much money; but you gave it anyway. Jesus took the gift you gave and that's why I'm here today. Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am a life that was changed. Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am so glad you gave. One by one they came, far as the eyes could see, each life somehow touched by your generosity. Little things that you had done, sacrifices made, unnoticed on the earth; in heaven now proclaimed. And I know that up in heaven, you're not supposed to cry. But I am almost sure, there were tears in your eyes as Jesus took your hand and you stood before the Lord. He said, my child look around you for great is your reward. Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am a life that was changed. Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am so glad you gave.”
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay