Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
“I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 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 enough room for it.”
– Malachi 3:6-10
Devotion
Malachi continues his indictment against the nation. He gives another example of how their hearts were far from God. Under the Mosaic law, the Israelites were instructed to give a tithe (10%) of their firstfruits back to God. Instead the people had withheld their tithe. God allowed them to keep ninety percent of their income and asked them to recognize Him by returning ten percent. God did not need their money. This really was a test of their hearts. Obviously, they failed in this area of their devotion to God. Giving is fellowship and is an integral part of our worship and our relationship to God.
The Big Question
I am often asked, “What are the New Testament guidelines for giving?” Paul instructs us to “give cheerfully without duty or compulsion.” These are broad instructions. What does this mean for each believer? Just like in the Old Testament, giving is an important part of our worship and our relationship to God. Generosity is both and Old and New Testament concept. Too me, the real issue here is understanding ownership. Once you get to the place that you realize it all belongs to God, then you will become a more responsible steward of God’s resources. One thing I have learned from seasoned saints over the years is this: “You can’t out give God!” How are you doing in the area of generosity? Have you taken the Lord at His Word and tested Him in this area? What does your giving indicate about the position of your heart before God?
End your time in prayer and silence reflecting on what God revealed to you today.