Give God His Due

Malachi 3:7-10

7 Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’ 8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, and try Me now in this” says the Lord off hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessings that there will not be room enough to receive it.”

In the Hebrew language the term “room enough” means sufficient, enough; a large enough quantity; plenty; measurelessness. In Exodus 36:5 a freewill offering of gold and other materials is taken. The people gave so lavishly that the Scripture describes their gifts as “much more than enough.” Many times people are handicapped by their own poverty, and too often their poverty is caused by their own disobedience to the Word. There are many ways in which we can be disobedient; one way is in robbing God! This portion of Scripture clearly tells us that those who keep back their tithes and offerings are robbing God. When we do this we are robbing ourselves of the blessings that God wants to give us. You see, when you do not tithe, you are breaking the law; and if you are breaking the law, then the benevolent law of God cannot work on your behalf. Nothing will keep a wise believer from tithing and giving, but he or she will never be found to tithe or give offerings just to get something in return. Instead, the act arises from obedience, and God always rewards obedience. I remember my Gramma Small telling me how when she was younger, Grampa would not allow her to tithe. He wasn’t a Christian yet, and he didn’t understand this principle that God was requiring from Gramma. Gram determined she was going to be as obedient to the Word of God as she could be. Gramma raised chickens. She set aside the first dozen eggs each week to give to the church. Out of the loaves of bread she would bake for the week, the first one was set aside to give to the pastor. God blessed her obedience and soon Grampa came to know the Lord for himself. They both, throughout the years, came to be faithful tithers and givers. They always had more than enough. They had some powerful stories to tell of how God provided for them during the years of war when rationing was going on. Up until the time the Lord called them home, they proclaimed His faithfulness to them in every situation, financial and otherwise. God is always faithful to all those who totally obey and trust Him.

What about you? Are you tithing and giving as God would command you? If you are not, do you see your need of a greater trust in God to provide for you? Ask Him today to make you a great giver, then trust Him to take good care of you as you give to others.