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“Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2 (NET)

Test and approve. The first image that entered my mind when reading this verse was the inside of a scientific lab where people in sterile white coats inspect the contents of test tubes, pouring one liquid into another, testing and failing, testing and failing, until – Eureka! They finally get it right and approve the result.

That’s not what we have here.

According to scholars, the word translated test and approve carries a specific meaning in the original Greek. It indicates testing with a positive outcome or testing so as to approve.

On the surface, the abundant life (in human terms) is getting harder to grasp. Prices are skyrocketing while full-time employment becomes more elusive. As a result, many employers are offering part-time work to avoid paying benefits. Anyone with understanding can’t blame them. They are struggling to survive, too.

Malachi 3:10 offers hope. In the face of the financial squeeze that many of us face today, this is a hard one, but it comes with a promise:  “Bring the entire tithe into the storehouse so that there may be food in my temple. Test me in this matter,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “to see if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out blessing for you until there is no room for it all.”

Obviously, the word given to us through the prophet Malachi is that the will of God is for us to bring the entire tithe into the storehouse—the temple or the church. Some would say that we were released from the Old Testament when Jesus died and therefore are not required to tithe. But let me give you the words of Christ when he was speaking to Pharisees: “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.”  (Luke 11:42 NIV)

Jesus is saying here that they should have practiced justice and the love of God in addition to giving the tenth. If Jesus confirms the practice of tithing, how can we ignore it?

When I write a devotional, I prefer to take humorous or heart-warming stories and use them to make a point. The heartwarming story here takes place after our act of obedience: God promises to open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings that overflow our capacity to hold them. What can be more heartwarming than that? Test and approve. Test and approve.

It’s getting rough out there for many people. Even those who have tithed for years may become tempted to hold back just enough to buy a pound of hamburger or a gallon of gas. After all, wouldn’t Jesus understand? Frankly, I’m concerned that Satan will eventually tempt me personally in this area. But with God’s help, I intend to stand firm, tithing on whatever we earn as I hold up my proverbial basket to receive God’s promised blessing. I pray the same for you.

“Father, our greatest desire is to do Your will, but Satan knows an effective place to attack us is in our bank accounts. Therefore, we ask You for strength and boldness to stand firm, be obedient, and trust You to provide for our needs.”

For His Glory

Cherie Williams (www.cherieharbridgewilliams.com)
TRBC Women’s Life