Monday 12 March 2007

Will a man rob God?

"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” - Malachi 3v8-10

Can you imagine anything worse than robbing God? Israel was bound by Old Testament law to tithe and give a certain amount. They had stopped doing so and in doing that they had robbed God of what was rightfully His. By robbing God of what was His they were depriving themselves of what He wanted to do in their midst. God gave them a way out – “You want to see the blessings return? Try me out, go back to giving me what is mine and I will bless you so much that you will not be able to receive it all.

We, of course, are no longer bound by the Old Testament law. Praise God that it was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ! Is it possible for us to rob God? Can we do the same thing Israel did?

Not exactly of course. We can’t break a law the does not bind us. We can however rob God by not giving Him what is His. When He purchased me on the cross I became His, My body became His temple. He bought me; I am His lock, stock, and barrel.

How do I rob God today? I do so when I don’t give Him my very best. When I hold back my time, my efforts, my resources, my talents, my abilities, and my very best I rob Him of what is rightfully His.

I wonder how God could bless if we all stopped robbing Him and gave God His due? I wonder if He could open the windows of heaven for us and pour out such a blessing that we would not be able to receive it?

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