In the book of Haggai, chapter 1 verse 9, God said, "Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house." This is the result of not tithing.

Years ago, before I truly understood tithing, I stopped paying my tithes. I had bills that made me feel like I was drowning in debt. I reasoned that once I got caught up, I would start paying my tithes again. However, I kept getting deeper and deeper into debt, so much so that I started going to the check-cashing store for payday advances. The fees that I was paying made the situation increasingly worse. The Lord had to deal with me on one of those trips and in doing so, He showed me that that was not what He wanted for me. I turned around and never went again.

The Holy Spirit convicted me that day, and not only did I resume paying my tithes, but I was obedient in paying "the fifth part," which meant adding another 20% on top of the 10% God instructs us to pay. NOTE: The word "tithe" means "tenth," and it is a PAYMENT, not simply giving, and it is about obedience and sacrifice. It also is not giving whatever amount we want, so I say this in love when I say that instructing anyone to tithe "whatever amount you feel comfortable with" is not Biblical, again because anything less than 10% is just an offering. 

Paying a total of 30% was humbling, and yes, it was a hardship. But given my situation, it was non-negotiable. When we tithe, we are telling the Lord that we trust Him to provide all our needs. Tithing is a covenant between God and the person tithing. With that covenant, the Lord becomes responsible for providing. When we do not tithe, God literally takes His hands off our financial situation. Consequently, He is not obligated to increase us, as is proven in His word in Malachi 3:8-12. Here, He describes our responsibility and His provision, and the consequences of NOT tithing (and giving offerings).

All that to say, once I resumed paying my tithes (not paying them made me a "God robber," as noted in Malachi 3:9), God IMMEDIATELY turned my situation around. He has blessed and increased me more than I could ever have imagined. I, personally, cannot ever afford to stop paying my tithes again, nor would I ever want to. It's not just about the money, but rather, it's about my relationship with the One who created me.

I would encourage everyone reading this to "prove" God, as He says in verse 10, that He can legitimately "open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." He is a promise-keeper, and if you do your part, He will do His part!🦋