Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
St. Peter’s MTC, NJ
"Ever since the days of your ancestors you have turned
aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return
to you, says the Lord of hosts." vs.7
Malachi is a book about the
restored Jewish community who doubted God’s covenantal love and no longer
trusted His justice. They were beginning to lose hope. Consequently, they were
unfaithful to God and did not take the law seriously. The prophet Malachi calls
out the Jewish people for breaking their covenant with God by withholding their
tithes.
A curse was placed on the whole nation because they were robbing God (Malachi
3:9). They faced the consequence because of their unfaithfulness. Jesus said
more about money than any other single thing during His time on Earth. Why is that?
Richard Halverson, who was a chaplain of the US Senate once said: “Money is an
exact index to a man’s true character. All through Scripture there is an
intimate correlation between the development of a man’s character and how he
handles his money.”
Many people turn to this particular passage
for guidance on financial practice. The word tithe means 10%. In the Old
Testament, we see the mandate to give 10% to God (Leviticus 27:30-33; Numbers
18:26-32; Deuteronomy 14:22-27). We like the idea of giving 10% because it
gives us a minimum, however, the New Testament doesn’t give us any percentages.
Rather we see the early church not only tithing but also selling their property
and possessions to those in need (Acts 2:45). If we review last month’s bank
statement what would that say about our philosophy of giving? Our giving does
not ensure our salvation but it is surely an evidence of it.
How was the early church taught to give? If we look through the New Testament
we see our giving should be a planned priority in our lives (1 Corinthians
16:1-2), proportional to what we have (2 Corinthians 8:2-4), sacrificial
(Philippians 4:17-18), intentional (Philippians 4:16), cheerful and not under
compulsion (2 Corinthians 9:7), and voluntary (2 Corinthians 8:8). These verses
do not give us a percentage to give, but it teaches us giving as an act of
obedience and a way to worship God.
God did not tell the Jewish community to return to
the law. Rather He said, “Return to me.” Jesus never asked us to meet minimum
standards in our giving. He commands our unconditional surrender- a blank check
before God. He is looking for followers who are willing to give up their lives
for His sake and the sake of the Gospel. So let us go before our God who
gave it all for us and surrender our hearts and desires so we may be part of
building His kingdom here.
PRAYER
Almighty God, please
reveal to us every area of our lives in which we are robbing You, increase our
joy in giving, and teach us to value our riches in Jesus more than the things
we find in this world. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
"So the solution to stinginess is a reorientation to
the generosity of Christ in the gospel, where he poured out his wealth for
you". Timothy Keller, Gospel in Life: Grace Changes
Everything