I tithe.

Period.

Its funny how, well for lack of a better word, funny people get when you talk about money. And what they should or should not be doing with their money. The Bible tells us what to do with our money. It tells us to give one tenth of our first fruits to God. Leviticus 27:34 reminds us that this does not belong to us, but belongs to God. We are only giving God what is already His. Malachi 3:10 says this, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, " and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." Not only does He provide for all our needs, God gives us more than we can possibly contain so that we have to give away even more than what we are already giving as a tithe.

And it works. It does. I needed furniture and an estranged husband of a friend of mine gives me his designer bedroom furniture. I needed a tree trimmed in my back yard and was quoted a $6,000 price tag from a tree service and my manager and boss come over and trim it for me for steaks and beer. I needed my air conditioner and windshield wiper assembly in my car fixed and my sisters ex-husband fixes it for next to nothing and some food out of my freezer. Every need that has presented itself since I have started tithing has been met. And some of my wants too. I still wanted a lingerie chest and patio furniture and those exact things are given to me when my grandmother moved into assisted living and gave up her apartment. I didn't ask for them. I didn't speak this want. God gave me exactly what I had asked for.

And the list goes on. If He doesn't provide things I need for free, He provides an opportunity to buy them for next to nothing. And the money shows up too. I make next to nothing and yet the extra money I need shows up. From strange places. Like I was short in October with money to pay my bills. Didn't know where the money was going to come from. My office administrator and I discover that while my company doesn't cover lenses or contacts, they do cover eye exams. I had been told when I came to the company that we didn't have vision insurance. I was able to re-emburse an eye exam that I had in September for nearly the exact amount that I was short on my bills for the month.

It works. Its not a trick. I give because God placed a burden on my heart. I give faithfully. And cheerfully. I actually get excited about writing those checks. And because I've kept His covenant, God has blessed me and continues to bless me. I haven't reached the point where I can't contain that blessing but I can honestly say there is not room for one more piece of furniture in my house.