Good Morning Friends,
“‘Ever since the time of your forefathers you
have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I
will return to you,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘But you ask, “How are we to
return?” Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, “How do we rob you?”
In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse -- the whole nation of you --
because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that
there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and
see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much
blessing that you will not have room enough for it.’” (Malachi 3:7-10)
How do you treat what belongs to the Lord?
The Jews paid no attention to what belongs to
the Lord. He had commanded a tithe from them, ten percent of all their income. It
belonged to the Lord. But they ignored His command and kept the tithe for
themselves. In doing so, Malachi says they were robbing God. Robbing God resulted
in God withholding blessings from them. It turned out that they weren’t just
robbing God, they were also robbing themselves! They ignored God and kept what
was His to their own hurt.
Although we are no longer bound by the Old
Testament law of tithing, the same principle applies to Christians today. We
have been entrusted with that which belongs to the Lord. Not just a tithe, but
everything we have belongs to the Lord --- our lives, our time, our influence,
our money, our possessions --- everything. He has bought it, paid for it in
full and it belongs to Him! “You are not your own; you were bought at a
price. Therefore honor God with your
body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
So, how do you treat what belongs to the
Lord?
Are you robbing God, keeping for yourself
that which belongs to Him?
If you are, who are you really robbing? God
--- to be sure, but also yourself. You are ignoring God to your own hurt and
missing some of the blessings that He would provide.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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