God's Math
Way back when I was a child (light years go), teachers were all teaching students the “new math.” It was the buzzword. And it seems that in each generation, someone finds a way to reinvent math instruction and call it “new math.” However, I always thought that no matter what it is called, 2 + 2 always equals 4 and 10 x 5 always equals 50. So, really, at the heart of it, math is math is math… unless you are talking about God’s math.
God’s math is not the same as the world’s math- or even as the “new math.” In the world’s math, when you have 10 apples, and you take one out and give it to someone else, you have just 9 apples left. In God’s math, when you take 10 percent out of what you have and give it back to Him, you actually end up with more. It is called the tithe. And the tithe brings blessing and protects you and what you own from destruction.
Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer [insects and plagues] for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruit before the time in the field, says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 3:10-11 (Amplified Bible Classic Edition, AMPC)
In the world’s math, when you subtract something from what you have, you end up with less. In God’s math, we get more by giving. When we give offerings to God and to help the poor, it is treated as an investment in the kingdom and the dividends are phenomenal.
Give generously and generous gifts will be given back to you, shaken down to make room for more. Abundant gifts will pour out upon you with such an overflowing measure that it will run over the top! Your measurement of generosity becomes the measurement of your return.” Luke 6:38 (The Passion Translation, TPT)
In the natural world, society operates by the principle that the more you keep, the better off you are. That is the opposite of how God’s math works. The more you give, the more you will have. And it produces a harvest, or a return, in every area of your life- spirit, soul, and body.
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. III John 1:2 (NKJV)
God’s math works the way it does because it is based on generosity and not on selfishness. It is a heart issue. When we give of what we have, we are acting just like Jesus, and the Father sees that we can be trusted with more. As a result, He multiplies what we have given and gives it back to us. New math may be the latest thing, but I’ll take God’s math any day!
