Robbing God

Malachi 3:6-15 (NIV)

6) "I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7) 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?’ 8) Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, ’How do we rob you?’ "In tithes and offerings. 9) You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 10) 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. 11) I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," say the Lord Almighty. 12) "Then all the nations will call you bless, for yours will be a delightful land," says the Lord Almighty. 13) "You have said harsh things against me," says the Lord "Yet you ask, ’What have we said against you?’ 14)"You have said, ’It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? 15) But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape."

Malachi urged the people to stop holding back their tithes, to stop keeping from God what he deserved. Everything we have is from God; so when we refuse to return to him a part of what he has given, we rob him. Do you selfishly want to keep 100 percent of what God gives, or are you willing to return at least 10 percent for helping to advance God’s kingdom? People are afraid that God will not come through if they give their tithes. All you are saying is that you don’t trust God. You would say ’Oh I need to pay my bills first and if I don’t pay this they will cut it off. Or if I pay my tithes I won’t have enough to pay my bills." Let them cut it off. It is better to obey God. Obedience is better than sacrifice. Then God goes on to say…"TEST ME IN THIS (He is challenging us)…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." Now that’s the Word of God. Do you not believe the Word??? God is saying that He will bless you in abundance if you pay your tithes. Now I’m not saying that He will bless you immediately. Circumstances may get worse before they get better. Your phone or electricity may get cut off. But just keep obeying God and see that He will indeed pour out a blessing. When we give we must remember that the blessings God promises are not always material and may not be experienced completely here on earth. The bible also says if you don’t pay your tithes you are under a curse. Robbing God of tithes and offerings brings a curse. So paying your tithes lifts the curse. My question to you…Are you paying your tithes? Would you rather a curse or a blessing?