Deuteronomy 16:16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose"... "and they shall not appear before the Lord empty: 17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee.
This passage of scripture teaches us to give, not according to our bills or temporal obligations, but according to the many blessings God has bestowed upon us, in giving us life, health, and strength, salvation, and protection by His holy angels 24/7. First of all, we should remember that we have never given God anything, for all that we have and are belongs to Him, and we ourselves are His, both by creation and redemption. Therefore whatever we return to Him should be done from hearts overflowing with gratitude for His unmerited kindness and favor to us through Jesus.
And so, it is from this perspective that we should give, not based on how many bills we have, and payments we need to make, but rather on the kindness manifested towards us by God each day, in providing for all our needs. It is a fact that as incomes rise, our expenditures oftengo up too, for whenever we can afford more of life's luxuries and comforts, there is often a general tendency to do so, without taking into consideration the fact that rainy days may come.
Thus, if because of our current salaries or earnings, we then set our hats where we can barely reach them, whilst at the same time remaining faithful to God in tithes and offerings, then if some sudden calamity or ill-fortune strikes, the cause of God is usually the first to take a hit, and it is often the case that we bring our bills and obligations to the table when deciding on how much to give.
This ought not to be the case, for our temporal concerns should not determine whether we give to The Lord, for if and when this is done, the enemy of souls is sure to supply a million and one plausible reasons why we should withhold that which is due. One of the ways in which this scenario can be safely avoided is by giving a percentage of our earnings, towards our church offerings, so that if God blesses us tremendously, our returns will also be tremendous, and if He blesses us sparingly, which He almost never does, then our returns will be commensurate with the blessings thus given.
Adopting this system will indeed prevent the unfortunate circumstance of giving on the spur of the moment, without deliberate sober thought, and it will also help us to avoid the snare of taking our bills into consideration when deciding on how much to give. But never should we, under any circumstances, adopt a system of giving that is based on leftovers, meaning that after we have taken care of all of our personal concerns, only then we consider God and His kingdom, because leftover giving often results in leftover blessings, a spiritual law that many of us may not be aware of. Let's read:
2nd Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
When giving, let us then consider Jesus, hanging on the cross, with blood flowing in copious amounts from His side, and with a crown of thorns pressed into His brow, all to save you and I, and as we meditate soberly on what our salvation cost, let us then give, because God loves a cheerful giver who gives with the understanding,and the right spirit. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which should indeed form the basis of all our giving, and it is the will of God that we consider with grateful hearts, what He has done, and continues to do in our behalf through Christ Jesus. Let's read:
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!