I recently received an email from someone who said they were contemplating meaning from Malachi chapter three as it pertains to today’s Christians. I read and reread this chapter repeatedly and the Spirit opened my eyes to a great truth of this passage in scripture pertaining to His people today. Here is the portion of Malachi I read:
“Because I, the LORD, do not change, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed. Yet from the days of your fathers, you have turned away from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of Hosts. But you ask, “How can we return?” “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me!” You ask, “How do we rob You?” “In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing Me. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out for you blessing without measure. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your land, and the vine in your field will not fail to produce fruit,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Your words against Me have been harsh,” says the LORD. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfully before the LORD of Hosts? So now we call the arrogant blessed. Not only do evildoers prosper, they even test God and escape.’” Malachi 3:6-15
The Lord Jesus surrendered everything for us even to the point of death. The religious minded so-called “Christian” gives to God what they feel is a worthy offering, but usually this pales in comparison to what they are capable of giving. In fact, what they are capable of giving is everything! However, that would mean they would have to walk away from a life in this world for a life solely focused on serving the Lord. Yet, this is what God expects of us if we are to become spiritually reborn (Born Again). However, far too many make the claim to be Christian in word, but rob the Almighty God of the desire of His heart. Jesus illustrated this using the poor widow's offering as His example. "Then Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” He said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4)
We are called to surrender our entire lives, not some preconceived measure. Only then will the Lord pour out upon us His unmeasurable blessings!
“Because I, the LORD, do not change, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed. Yet from the days of your fathers, you have turned away from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of Hosts. But you ask, “How can we return?” “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me!” You ask, “How do we rob You?” “In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing Me. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out for you blessing without measure. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your land, and the vine in your field will not fail to produce fruit,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Your words against Me have been harsh,” says the LORD. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfully before the LORD of Hosts? So now we call the arrogant blessed. Not only do evildoers prosper, they even test God and escape.’” Malachi 3:6-15
The Lord Jesus surrendered everything for us even to the point of death. The religious minded so-called “Christian” gives to God what they feel is a worthy offering, but usually this pales in comparison to what they are capable of giving. In fact, what they are capable of giving is everything! However, that would mean they would have to walk away from a life in this world for a life solely focused on serving the Lord. Yet, this is what God expects of us if we are to become spiritually reborn (Born Again). However, far too many make the claim to be Christian in word, but rob the Almighty God of the desire of His heart. Jesus illustrated this using the poor widow's offering as His example. "Then Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” He said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4)
We are called to surrender our entire lives, not some preconceived measure. Only then will the Lord pour out upon us His unmeasurable blessings!
