PODCAST
Do You Really Believe?
October 7th, 2014
Malachi 3:1-7
God longs for us to trust Him! Trust, however, must be expressed in concrete deeds. Israel understood that! The God who formed them was faithfully, repeatedly calling out to them. On occasion they gathered in the temple to “worship,” to offer their sacrifices, and to claim their legacy as God’s people. However, their hypocrisy was demonstrated in their everyday behavior by their apathy, injustice, immoral practices, oppression of widows and orphans, and unfair treatment of foreigners.
Their offerings were habitual, but not sacrificial. They were giving out of their surplus, not out of their substance. Giving that matters to God, in every arena of our lives, must be more than a “tip.” It must reach into the very substance of our lives and our means.
We tithe not because we can afford it. We give our tithes and our offerings because we believe. We really believe. And we trust Him to keep His word, and provide what we need so that we may do His will and work.
Author: Jesse C. Middendorf
