The prophet Malachi issued a warning to the Israelites about their unacceptable stewardship. By not following God’s principles in handling the resources He had provided to them, they were robbing Him of their tithes.

Since we too are given resources from the Lord, we must likewise handle our earnings according to biblical principles. First, that means acknowledging that God is the owner of all things (Psalm 50:10-12). He created the heavens, the earth, and everything in them, and everything we have comes from His hand.

Second, we are to recognize that God has appointed His children to be stewards of His possessions. We are to use wisely what He has given us and return to Him a portion of what He’s entrusted to us (1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 1 Timothy 6:17-18). When we give to the church and to the needy, we are giving to God.

The Lord asks that we give Him the first part of all we earn (Prov. 3:9-10), but not because He needs it—He already owns it, whether we give it to Him or not. Rather, we’re the ones who need to learn to rely on Him as our provider and respond with generosity, obedience, and gratitude for His kindness toward us.