Malachi 3:10 says, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse." As Christians, we were in the habit of obeying this command, but we didn't understand the reason God commanded it until the test of an uncertain financial future forced us to trust Him completely.

My husband Bob and I enjoyed a very pleasant life in the high desert. I was teaching second grade and Bob was running a business making remote controlled planes for the government. Then God called us to care for my elderly parents. I finished the school year and we moved in July. Bob continued to commute two hours each way to work at his business. Since we had already made a commitment to our church in the desert to tithe a certain monthly amount for that year, we decided to continue giving as we had promised, even though our income decreased by about half when I quit my job. We were unable to sell our house in the desert, juggling two house payments. However, God says, In Malachi 3:10, that we should test him in this, so we decided to pay our tithes out of the first money we got at the beginning of each month, even though we didn't know whether there would be enough money left to pay everything else. Often I felt like the widow woman in 1 Kings 17 who fed Elijah from the last of her flour and oil, only to find that the flour and oil multiplied from day to day so there was always enough. When we began to let go of control over our money, He taught us to live in the present and not to worry about tomorrow.

I won't pretend that we were always successful in our resolve to give of our first fruits, but we made great progress that first year. At the end of the year, we were amazed to see how God supplied enough for all our obligations. We learned that God cares about the little details of our everyday lives and that He is always faithful.

In gratitude, we pledged the same amount for the next year. The following year, Bob sold his business. Again we faced an uncertain future now with neither of us working. But we discovered that we were able to give as we had promised, and, to our surprise, that our income actually increased. Month by month, as we watched God multiply our investments, we grew in our desire to give and in our reliance on Him.

About that time, we became members of our new church. Again stepping out in faith, we increased our pledge in proportion with our added income, still not knowing exactly where the extra tithe would come from. Again, God supplied in abundance. That has been our pattern ever since. Each year, when we step out in faith and increase our pledge, our income also increases. It's been awesome to watch God work.

Leviticus 27:30 says, "A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord." God wants us to hold our possessions loosely, to see them as belonging to Him. The blessings of God are put into our hands that we might manage them for the glory of God. We do not own them. As managers, we will be held accountable to God for what we do with what He provides. This helps us not love money in unhealthy ways.

You see, giving originated in the heart of a giving God. God pours forth more blessings on His people than we could ever deserve--priceless gifts--life, love, even His own Son--not to mention the material things we enjoy. When we learn to give, we are becoming like Jesus. That's what stewardship is all about.