Why Give?

     The Old and New Testaments both teach the importance of generosity especially as it applies to our obligation as God's redeemed children to help the poor, the hungry and the helpless.  Among the reasons the Bible gives for us to set aside regularly a portion of the blessings God has given us for the sake of others, perhaps there is none more important than the one in Deuteronomy 14:23:  "so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always."
     We do not come into this world revering God.  We must learn to appreciate His holy character and to approach Him with awe, respect and reverence.  Why do we need to learn that?  Because God has created us for relationship with Him and that relationship works to our benefit and to His glory best when it is grounded in acknowledgement of and wholehearted submission to His sovereign authority. 
     God in His infinite wisdom knew that if we would take the first and best portion of what He gives to us (typically our income) and set it aside to be used as He prescribes, our relationship with Him would be strengthened and our trust in Him would grow.
     Life is more as God intends it to be for us when we relate to Him on the basis of reverence for Him and there's no better way to learn that than to give regularly, sacrificially and in ways that benefit our neighbors in need.