Introduction

Home feels a little brighter when we remember Who holds the house together. Some of us walked in today with full calendars and thin margins. Wins at work, worries at home, maybe a mixture of both. And somewhere in the swirl of it all we ask, How do I honor God when life feels loud? How do I say thank You when the ink on my to-do list never dries? There is a way—simple, steady, and sacred—that lifts our eyes from our hands to His heart. It’s the way of worship through offering, the way of open-handed trust.

Francis Chan once wrote, "Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter." That line has a way of settling the soul. It nudges us to weigh what we prize and why. It invites us to place our trophies, our paychecks, our plans on the table before the Lord and whisper, "You first." Today, we step into one of Scripture’s earliest portraits of a worshiper who did just that—Abram, the dust of battle still on his sandals, the thrill of rescue still in his chest, and the bread and wine of blessing set before him by a priest of the Most High.

Before we talk about our part, let’s listen to the story God has given us. Hear it as if you were there. Feel the dust of the valley, the hush of the king’s dale, the lift in Abram’s heart when blessing fell like rain.

Genesis 14:1-20 (KJV) 1 And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations; 2 That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar. 3 All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea. 4 Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim, 6 And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness. 7 And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar. 8 And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim; 9 With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five. 10 And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain. 11 And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. 12 And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. 13 And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram. 14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. 15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. 16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. 17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale. 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

Opening Prayer: Most High God, Possessor of heaven and earth, we pause in Your presence with open hands and hopeful hearts. Thank You for the victories we see and the ones we never see—quiet mercies, daily manna, strength for each step. As Your Word settles over us, shape our hearts to honor You above every gain. Teach us to see blessing before boasting, worship before wealth, and Your name above every name. Lift our confidence from human power to Your faithful provision. Through the bread and wine of grace, through the blessing of Your priestly care in Christ, make us a people who respond with gratitude, generosity, and glad trust. Speak, Lord, and help us to listen. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Do you feel the contrast in the valley? Kings clashing, empires flexing, headlines fit for history books—and then a quiet priest steps forward with bread and wine. No sword. No swagger. Just blessing. He lifts his voice and stitches heaven to earth with one sentence: "Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth." Can you hear the music in that? Before anyone can tally the loot or draft the report, the Lord claims the moment. The victory is His. The rescue is His. The breath in Abram’s lungs is His.

And then Abram does something beautiful—something brave and simple. He honors God with a tenth. No invoice. No ultimatum. A heartfelt act of worship. He doesn’t tip the priest; he treasures the Presence. He isn’t paying a fee; he is praising the Father. Tithing in this story rises like incense from an altar called gratitude. Blessing begets blessing. Grace stirs generosity. Faith finds its footing in a God who delivers.

What might this look like in your week? In your home? At your kitchen table when the bills are stacked and your heart feels stretched? This passage whispers a promise: when God names the victory, God nourishes the victor. Bread and wine for the weary. Blessing for the battle-worn. Strength for the steward who says, "Lord, You first with all I am."

Today, we will watch how God’s favor precedes Abram’s offering, how a tenth becomes a testimony to the Most High, and how trust in God’s care quiets the thunder of earthly powers. Expect encouragement. Expect clarity. Expect the kindness of God to kindle courage in you. The same God who met Abram in the king’s dale meets you here, now, with blessing on His lips and provision in His hands.

Tithing springs from divine blessing over personal achievement

Grace always moves first. That is the pattern in this story. Before Abram lifts his hand. Before he counts anything. Blessing lands on him. Bread and wine meet him. A priest speaks life over him. Then comes the tenth. Giving rises like a breath after a deep word from God. It is simple. God acts. We answer.

This shifts how we see our own giving. We face long weeks and long lists. Wins and worries share the same day. In that swirl, this text teaches pace. Slow down and hear the blessing of God. Hear the truth about who He is and what He has done. When that truth fills the heart, the hands open. The tenth does not strain out of fear. It flows from thanks.

Think about what happens when someone names the real source of your strength. It clears the fog. It brings rest. That is what the priest does. He names God as the Most High. He names God as the Maker and Holder of all things. He names God as the One who gives rescue. Abram does not stand taller because of his plan. He bows lower because of God’s care. The tenth becomes a witness to that care.

So tithing turns into worship. It is not a fee. It is not a tax. It is a way to say, "All I have came from Your hand." It is a way to say, "My life is held by You." When you set aside the first part, you are telling your own soul the truth. God owns. God gives. God sustains. That confession heals hurry and pride.

This also guides us at the table where we budget. The numbers may feel tight. The future may look thin. Giving in that place is an act of steady trust. It takes the crown off our skill. It places the crown on the Lord. It frees us from chasing control, because we remember who holds the sky and the soil. We give, and peace grows.

Watch the order in the passage. The king-priest brings bread and wine. He blesses Abram with clear words. Then the text says, "And he gave him tithes of all." The sequence matters. Provision, then praise. Promise named, then portion given. The tenth is not a lever pulled to get God to move. The tenth is the echo of a voice already heard. That order keeps the heart soft. It keeps giving clean and glad.

Listen to the title spoken over God: "Possessor of heaven and earth." That title reaches into every corner. Sky and field. Cities and flocks. Work hours and rest hours. If God holds all, then we hold things as stewards. A steward manages what belongs to another. A steward asks, "What brings the Owner joy?" The tenth is a marker that we understand our place in that relationship. It trains the hands to release. It trains the mind to remember. It trains the heart to rest under a larger rule.

Hear the reason for the win: "Which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand." That line moves the weight off Abram’s tactics and puts it on God’s power. Abram did plan. He did act. Yet the text points higher. The Strong One delivered. When we give, we retell that line. We put our paychecks and our progress under the same truth. The Lord delivered. The Lord provided. The Lord sustained. The tenth becomes a public way to give God the credit the passage assigns to Him.

Notice who stands between Abram and God in this scene. A priest who brings food and a word. Blessing comes through a servant who represents the Most High. That pattern should feel close for us in Christ. We are fed by grace. We are spoken over with mercy. We receive life and care before we measure any return. Offerings then become a response to priestly kindness. We do not buy access. We live from access already given. Bread and cup in our worship remind us of that. So the first part we bring now is a thank-you to the One who first gave Himself for us.

Offering a tenth to honor the Most High

Abram stands in the king’s dale with dust on his sandals and blessing still ringing in his ears ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO