Rob

Malachi 3:8-10 (The Message)

Begin by being honest. Do honest people rob God? But you rob me day after day.

You ask, 'How have we robbed you?'

The tithe and the offering—that's how! And now you're under a curse —the whole lot of you—because you're robbing me. Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple.

Test me in this and see if I don't open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams.

When we talk scripture, and giving...this is the scripture people usually want to read last, if at all.

This is good, old fashioned, Old Testament honesty.

And it's pretty tough for all of us to hear.

And like most tough things, it's something we really need.

"Be honest," God says. "You're stealing from me if you don't learn how to give."

Stealing from God and a lack of honesty.

God just slices through all of our good excuses.

"I can't afford to give..."

"I'll start giving next month..."

"I don't have enough to live on now as it is..."

"Why should I?"

All those excuses start from a faulty view of the world.

We forget that we don't provide for ourselves, but that everything is a gift from God.

God's reaction seems to say, "You're stealing what's mine."

But that's not the end of the message. God has some very good things in store.

"Test me," God says.

Really, God says, "test me."

Isn't that great?

"Give me what's mine," God says, "and see what happens in your life."

God is the God of blessings.

If we believe that all things belong to him, and that he clothes the "lillies of the field" in splendor, then how much more will he take care of us? At least, that's what Jesus said.

So, here's our promise for the day: "Test me in this, and see if I don't open up heaven itself and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams."

May it be truly so for all of us.

Prayer: Teach us to "test" you and not "rob" you, our God. We seek to learn the grace of giving so that we can bring the whole tithe into your storehouse.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end, Amen.