God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us; Selah. That Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations. Psalm 67:1-2
When someone is gracious to you he shows you kindness because he loves you. A gracious person is kind, benevolent, generous, compassionate, lenient, understanding and merciful.
God’s graciousness to us is revealed when He supplies our needs and gives us the abundance of all things. When we have no lack and no needs, God is being gracious to us! The houses, cars, finances that God has bestowed on us are all signs of God’s graciousness!
Why is God so gracious to us? So that we can be a blessing to the nations of the world. God’s graciousness is shown to us for a purpose that we may spread His Gospel to the nations. The prayer for graciousness from God is based on our promise that we would use this graciousness to spread the Gospel to the nations.
Every time you pay your tithes, you invest in God’s purpose the salvation of the nations. Paying of your tithes gives God more reasons to continue to be gracious to you.
1. Tithing makes provision for the house of God.
The prophet Malachi asked for the tithes to be brought to the house of the Lord for one reason: that there may be meat (supplies, provision, materials, goods, food, equipment) in the house of the Lord. The house of the Lord exists for a purpose and every time you pay your tithes you finance that purpose.
2. The House of the Lord exists to spread the word of salvation to the ends of the world.
The purpose of the house of the Lord is summarized in a statement by Jesus Christ. He said, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). This is the whole purpose of Christ’s coming to the world.
3. God wants to spread the news of salvation to different parts of the world and He has promised to be gracious to His people if we will help fulfil this vision.
To be gracious to someone is to show charm, kindness and a warm generosity of spirit. God will show you kindness and generosity when you help to fulfil His vision. Graciousness speaks of the kindness and warm courtesy shown by a king to his subjects. God will extend warm courtesies to you as you take up His greatest task. Indeed a person who is gracious is disposed to bestow favours and God will bestow many favours on you when you help to spread the Gospel of salvation.
4. God’s graciousness is bestowed on His church so that we would make His salvation known to the ends of the world. Your wealth exists because of God’s graciousness and blessings. If God is not gracious to you, you would not have or own anything.
God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us. Selah. That Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations. Psalm 67:1-2