Taking Ground | Week 4
Day 2
“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” -Proverbs 3:9–10
When we talk about taking ground in our finances, one of the first places God invites us to examine is the principle of the tithe. The tithe—returning the first 10% of what we earn to God—is not a transaction, and it is not simply an Old Testament law. It’s a revelation. It’s a statement of ownership. It declares, “God, everything I have belongs to You.”
For the Israelites, the tithe wasn’t just about money. It was about worship. Every harvest, every increase, every blessing was an opportunity to acknowledge the true source of provision. When they brought the first portion of their crops or livestock to the Lord, they were saying, “You are first in my life. You are the One who gave this to me in the first place.”
That’s why tithing is not a rule—it’s a relationship statement. It’s like saying to God, “We’re exclusive. I’m committed to You.” Just as a ring on a finger represents covenant, the tithe represents spiritual devotion. It’s how we show that our love for God extends into every part of our lives—including our bank accounts.
For some, this can feel uncomfortable at first. Money touches every area of our security and identity. We often don’t realize how much of our heart is wrapped up in it until God asks for a piece of it. That’s why defensiveness about money often reveals idolatry around money. When we tighten our grip, it’s not that God is trying to take something from us—He’s trying to free us from what’s controlling us.
Tithing is the practical way we surrender financial control to God. It’s a declaration that He gets our first and best, not our leftovers. It’s saying, “God, before I pay bills, before I make plans, before I do anything else—You are first.” And here’s the beautiful truth: when we place Him first, everything else falls into order.
Throughout Scripture, God shows us this principle again and again. The widow at Zarephath gave her last bit of flour and oil to the prophet, and her jars never ran dry. The boy who brought his small lunch to Jesus saw it feed thousands. Each time someone gave first to God, God multiplied what was left. The tithe doesn’t subtract—it activates supernatural provision.
Pastor Tim once said, “Tithing is the training wheels of generosity.” It’s the foundation that teaches us how to ride in faith. It’s not the end of generosity—it’s the beginning. When we’re faithful with the first 10%, God begins to entrust us with opportunities that go beyond numbers. We start to see His fingerprints on our finances.
The tithe is not about the money—it’s about the heart. It transforms our perspective from ownership to stewardship, from anxiety to trust. When we tithe, we’re saying, “God, You are the provider, and I am the participant.” It’s not about paying God off or earning His favor; it’s about inviting Him into our financial story.
In the same way Israel had to trust God to stop the manna and start the harvest, we trust God with our first and our best. And as we do, we experience the joy of watching Him fill our barns and overflow our lives—not so we can store up more, but so that we can reflect His generous heart to the world.
The tithe is not just about money leaving your hand; it’s about freedom entering your heart.
When we understand this revelation, giving no longer feels like loss. It feels like worship. It feels like trust. It feels like taking ground.
