The tithe and the turnaround

Today: Nehemiah 10-11

This passage is fairly short (and this entry will be as well). However, one of the things that I noticed is the amazing turnaround of God's people. They went from completely neglecting the God, the Temple and their entire country--to giving the first and the best 10% of their wealth to God's House. Wow!

From what I've seen and experienced, the tithe and the turnaround are often tied together. People's lives are transformed by God's love and power and their natural response is to obey Him and bless His House through tithes and offerings. On the flipside, the very act of tithing is transformational--it's an admission that, "Everything I have comes from God. I choose to obey and honor Him through gratitude and giving." Giving repositions our hearts in submitted obedience to God's authority. Giving also positions us to follow in God's footsteps--we learn to become loving when we surrender "our" stuff and our selfishness to be generous instead.

Tomorrow: Nehemiah 12-13