Malachi1vs6-14, Malachi 3vs6-12 (Giving the BEST and Not ROBBING God)
Question: Being a parent, how would you feel if your child who now has a high paying job and never buys you anything? Maybe only sends some money once in a while usually when you have asked for it to cater for a certain problem.
The answer from most of you is hurt, why then do we hurt God by giving Him what we do not want or the remainder of our fortunes. The same way one is hurt is the same way our Father is also hurt. Malachi 1vs8 “When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? When we offer the coins that we do not want whilst we have notes for KFC is that not insulting God. Why do we give the last and unworthy gifts to God and not set aside offerings for our Father rather set aside the best for the Lord.
Why do we rob God, yes robbing God, some may wonder how can we rob God? Let me explain. We rob God when we do not give tithes and offerings Malachi 3vs8, it is compulsory that one give tithes. Are there consequences of robbing God? Of-course Malachi 3vs8 “You are under a curse the whole nation of you, because you are robbing me.” Give to God what belongs to Him so that you will not invite curses in your life, the Lord curses those who rob Him.
Some may not know what is tithing and offering
· Offering is something given to God as an act of worship
· Tithing is the giving to God of one-tenth of what one earns
By tithing you open the doors of 1) Blessing Malachi 3vs10
2) Protection from the devourer vs11
3) The goodness of the Lord will be seen upon your life vs12
If you want to walk in the fullness of Blessing, it is not enough to just write a cheque and throw it in the offering basket. Rather set aside the best for the Lord and not give Him the leftovers or what you do not want to use, give whole heartedly. Take your extra time and seek the Lord over your tithe. Do not be like Adam who cut himself from the blessing of the Lord by eating the fruit (Genesis 3). He robbed God and blamed his wife for it. Do not blame it on anyone or even on your parents for sending you less money. No matter how much it is take 1/10 and give it to the Lord, it is your responsibility.
“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 3vs10. When you begin to tithe that is when you open the doors of blessings in your life. Genesis 26 talks about the blessing that was upon Isaac during the time of famine in Canaan, he was the only one who prospered and had abundance whilst people died from hunger. You can be the Isaac of this nation, whilst the recession is at peak you will have abundance and people will be amazed not knowing that you were obedient to the word of the Lord.
Luke 21vs1-4 Jesus considered the poor widow to have given more than anyone including the rich but she had only put 2 smaller copper coins. But Why? Because she had given out of her poverty, she sacrificed all she had and gave whole heartedly but the rich just gave the leftovers, they did not set aside the best for the Lord and were just giving because they had to and some to be seen. Do not give the Father what is not worthy to you or giving because you have to, without love or giving only to be seen and appreciated by others. Remember God is not human that He sees the outward but the inward.
In closing James 4vs17 says “Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and does not do it, sins.” The word says give offerings and tithes, now that you know it you ought to obey the word of the Lord, failing to do so is sin. We are like God so we ought to have the giving nature as that is God’s nature. Imagine he gave his only son (John 3vs16) so that you and me could be saved and have all in Christ Jesus but we struggle to give just a tenth of what you earn or offerings. It is high time you and me open our hearts and allow the nature of God to dwell in us, Give, Give and Give!
Article by Irene Mutumha
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