The Bible teaches very clearly that a man’s welfare is not a judgement of his spiritual state! Job is a masterpiece in showcasing this. Lazarus and the Rich man is a classic in detailing this reality and the charge to the churches in Revelations shows this unequivocally.
The fact that someone is doing well in this worlds terms doesn’t mean he is doing well in God’s account. The converse is also true. The fact that life deals you a harsh blow doesn’t mean you are not living in God’s favour.
To judge the validity of an offering by the salary raise received a little after, is to turn God into a lotto machine! God is not kalokalo and does not respond to earthly inducements by funding the greed of the primers. The seed is the word of God, not offering!
It’s also error to judge a man’s problems by his not haven paid his tithe! Such teaching is not consistent with the Bible! God does wants 100% of the individual and has not punished humanity for seeking to pacify him with 10%. Why then will you assume that bad things happened to you because you missed it! Those who preach tithe rob God of relationship with his people and rob the people of their blessings, as cursed is he who does not continue in the entire law, and cursed is he who fails at one.
In God’s infinite wisdom, He doesn’t immediately judge us when we do wrong, else mankind would have been wiped out! He also does not immediately bless us when we do right. God is patient! His plans for the righteous need pain and suffering to get them to fullness. His plans for the wicked require the benefit of time so they have space to repent.
Increasing financially, growing in numerical strength, having more assets and all the good thing the world ranks are not the way to know who is serving God! There remains only one standard – Christ. There remains one goal – Christ. There is only one basis for knowing what is right, does it follow the pattern?
Selah!
