Genesis 14:19-20 “He blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." He gave him a tenth of all.”

We are all students, or have been students. We all know about the tightness of finances, the weight of our expected duty to perform well, to always come through - to get that one assignment done, that research paper turned in. We all understand these pressures, and often times we forget to include God in it.

Abram and Lot, uncle and nephew, had split up. Lot had chosen the richer seeming plains of Sodom and Gomorra while Abram had went the other direction, into Canaan. God had then told Abram that everywhere Abram walked in this land, it would belong to his descendants (Gen 13:17). The pressure was already rising for Abram. His descendants? He did not even have children. At this point, one of his servants was his heir! Then came the kings of Shinar, Ellasar, Elam, and Goiim. These kings decided to pillage, plunder, and loot Sodom and Gomorra. During this attack, they took Lot and all his belongings, his wife, and his children.

Abram seemed to be under even worse pressure. Now he had to go rescue his nephew. Abram without thought of the odds against him led out his group of armed men, his servants and trained men. They split up in the night and attacked. In the confusion they managed to drive away the kings and rescue all the plunder, loot, and Lot. Abram trusted God to protect him. Then Abram worshiped God.

Melchizedek, King and Priest of the Most High blessed Abram and Abram did what? Abram tithed all the plunder. No not to Melchizedek the king, but to God through his royal Priest, Melchizedek. Abram tithed, not just his belongings, Not just Lot’s belonging, but everything. Abram tithed out of his stress, out of his wealth, out of his gain, and out of his loss.

We as students, we as workers, we as children of God, do we share our lives with Him? Do we give not only of our wealth, of our money, but also of our pain, of our toil? Do we give Him at least a tithe of our papers, of our research, of our duties?

Abram the man (and not the patriarch) did. Can we?