Testing God’s Promise Changed His Life

As a new Christian, Randy Hinton was a cynic when it came to tithing. Especially when his finances were already tight. He says, “Tithing was, to me was giving my money away to somebody I don’t know and I have no clue what they are going to do with it. I thought it was a ridiculous idea based on what was coming in based on what was going out.”

Randy was never able to get ahead financially, he was frustrated,  struggling to make ends meet. “There was a mouse on the wheel effect.” He says, “I have to keep running on this wheel to make it all happen, but I'm not really getting anywhere because nothing is really being saved, nothing investing in retirement and definitely not any tithing.”

Then in 2005 his daughter Hayley died after a battle with brain cancer. Randy wondered if anyone would be there to help his family in their time of need. Soon after, his question was answered. “People came charging from all directions to help. The mailbox, cards, packages, letters, checks, checks after checks and checks. And her funeral was all basically paid for by people sending donations to the funeral home.” Randy says. 

Randy, overwhelmed by the love and support shown to him by churches, and strangers who paid medical bills and expenses, began studying the Bible. When he read Malachi 3, he decided to test God’s promises and began tithing every week. Randy recalls, “And that's when I said, ‘okay, I'm gonna test this’, bring your tithe into my storehouse and watch and see if I don't put a blessing on you that you can't even comprehend. You can't even handle.

Soon after, he noticed a change is his attitude - and in his finances. Randy says, “I don't have to be scared to open up my mailbox to see what's in there. I don't have to worry about where something's going to be covered at the end of the week or the end of the month. And it allows you to sleep a lot easier. And these are the things that did not happen before tithing. So yes, he did put a blessing on us that we would not believe. And it's still going on today. He made a believer out of a nonbeliever. He made a non-cynic out of a cynic.”

Over time, his finances turned around. He even paid off their mortgage and looks forward to retiring early. “Putting money away in an IRA and 401k, it's like having a giant burden lifted off of you. We have not fallen through the cracks or ran into any major problems since I started tithing.” He says. 

Randy encourages others to do what he did, trust the LORD with their tithe, become a joyful giver, and see what God does. He now says, “I'm absolutely a joyful giver. I used to be very, very, very non joyful. Now, when I go in there, I'm happy to put it in there.”

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