Are you among those who faithfully give to your local church or charity, yet never receives any increase in your finances? Unless you understand the principles of giving in the Kingdom of God, it is easy to become a frustrated, disillusioned grumbler, and completely quit giving. When that happens, because of lack of knowledge, you may be deceived to think the Word of God “doesn’t work”.

The truth is God is a multiplier and gives the increase, but everything He is does is according to the order He has established in His Kingdom.

In MARK 4 Jesus teaches a fundamental law of the Kingdom through the parable of the sower and seed. In the context of giving, the seed sown here is money. Verse 14 warns us that as soon as the seed is sown (money is given), Satan comes immediately to steal that seed before it can produce a harvest. He’s worried about this because in verse 18 Jesus says the seed will yield a 30, 60, or 100 fold harvest or increase. Be assured, the devil does not want us to prosper and use that money to advance God’s Kingdom on earth.

We are instructed in MALACHI 3: 10 to bring our seed, a tithe of 10% of all we receive, into the storehouse. If we are obedient to do this, God will open the windows of heaven and bless us beyond what we can even contain! Plus, He PROMISES to rebuke the devouver (Satan) from stealing our seed. The Lord Himself will protect the harvest or increase of what we’ve given.
The Lord further backs His promise up saying “And try Me now in this…”
This is only place in whole Bible the Lord tells us to test Him on His Word.

Now here is the key to receiving. There is a difference between a tithe and an offering. When we give just any amount to the Lord and it’s NOT the tithe, it’s an offering. For example if someone blesses me with
$500 my tithe would be $50. But then if I remember I need a couple things at the grocery store, and only give the Lord $25, it is an offering. I just
missed my harvest! There was no return on my giving because the promise is only connected to the tithe, not the offering.

God doesn’t change. His Word is forever valid. That is why the Lord says in verse 7 “you have moved away from My ordinances and have not kept them.”
He takes it further in verse 8 and says “Yet you have robbed Me.” God can say that because everything we have is really His and He’s looking for us to
acknowledge His ownership with our 10% return. In fact, we honor Him when we tithe. In Proverbs 3:9 He again speaks of the abundance that results from our giving.”Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”

In verse 14 it seems as though He already heard us complain “It is useless
to serve God; what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance…”
Understand more is happening here than satan stealing our money. The devourer is out to destroy our faith in God’s Word because faith releases the harvest!

Read Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” If satan can put doubt in our mind, our faith will be weakened. Doubt will affect the degree or measure of faith we put behind our giving.

The good news is we are not with remedy. God has given us the solution ahead of the problem. In verse 7 the Lord tells us “return to Me and do what I say”.

The returning speaks of repenting. To repent is to change how we are thinking. We have to rethink this whole thing, and understand it isn’t not about being under the law. Tithing began long before God gave His laws to Moses. It actually began as act of gratitude, acknowledging God as the Possessor of both heaven and earth.

In Genesis 14 Melchizedek, King and Priest of Salem, blessed Abram with bread and wine to refresh him after returning victorious from battle. In turn, Abram blessed Melchizedek with a tithe of all he’d retrieved from the enemy. Right after this (Genesis 15:1), the Lord comes to Abram and tells
him not to be afraid, that He, the Lord is His shield (protection) and
“exceedingly great reward”! Talk about payback!

As we return to the Lord, with our minds renewed with Truth, and do what He says to do, He will do all He has promised us. Surely the abundant harvest will follow!