A preacher once paid a visit to a farmer who was a member of his church. He was trying to convince the farmer that he should tithe.

“If you had 100 cows,” the preacher began, “would you give 10 of them to the church?”

“I reckon I would,” the farmer replied.

“If you had 50 sheep, would you give 5 of them to the church?”

“I sure would, preacher!”

“If you had 10 pigs, would you give 1 of them to the church?”

“Now that’s not a fair question!” the farmer complained.

“Why not?” the preacher asked.

“Because you know that I have 10 pigs!”

Have you ever noticed how generous people are with the money they might have someday? If they ever win a $10 million sweepstakes, they will give $1 million to the church. That’s just fine, but what are you doing with the money you already have?

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. ‘Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”’—Malachi 3:10.