Greetings to you in the “Name” that is multi-faceted, multi-generational, maxi-powerful, and above every ‘name’, Jesus Christ – THE Risen Saviour. What a beautiful late summer morning in the Kingdom – we are so blessed! Here we are one day away from the end of August – an opportunity to deal with any outstanding ‘stuff’ before we launch into a new month. I trust that you had a grand weekend and Monday – Tuesday with lots of interesting experiences and adventures to create memories with. Today I will be praying for you, asking Father to open your eyes, remove the scales, so that you can see what He is doing all around you.
There is a verse of Scripture that is really powerful but we don’t like to consider it because it invades the kingdom of ‘self’ – revealing a side of us that makes us uncomfortable. It says: “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!” Malachi 3:10. We so often begin reading verses like that and as soon as it says we need to give…we stop reading and miss the promise.
We think this is simply about money…’my money’… and that is scary. However, notice that it says – “all the tithes” – and this is where we need to understand it isn’t simply about money. This is an Old Testament introduction to the Principle of Firsts. I believe that God through Malachi is introducing the readers to the principle of giving God the first part of everything in our lives.
Not just the first ten cents of every dollar but: the first moments of every day – the first person I talk to about my life and concerns and stuff that is affecting me – the first day of the week to gather with my Christian family to worship-fellowship-pray – the first part of my ‘free time’ – the first part of __________ . God deserves and expects the ‘first place’ in all of our life.
We think it is such a hardship, such an invasion of our lives, such an inconvenience … but look at the benefits – the open windows of heaven, abundance, super-abundance, of blessing…and the opportunity to put God to the test! Interesting it is that the only place-time that God allows us to put Him to the test is in the area of giving our “first”. I want to say, after forty plus years: God cannot be out given! There is no dollar amount or measure to reveal the extravagance of what He can-does pour into our lives! God is good!
Have a great day – be blessed!