Try Me

"Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
      That there may be food in My house,
      And try Me now in this,”
      Says the LORD of hosts,

      “ If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
      And pour out for you such blessing
      That there will not be room enough to receive it."  Malachi 3:10
     
I wasn't going to post yet today.  For the last ten days or so I've  been knocked out by a lovely virus, and just have not felt much like doing anything.  No blogging, no reading, no nothing.  I'm still not myself, but am hopeful that any day now, normalcy will return.  From what I have been hearing from other friends and people, this bug lasts about two weeks or so... so any day now!

But then, this morning with school, we listened to the above verse set to song, and it just struck such a chord with me.  Tithing is one of those issues that people get really passionate about- they either believe it is for today, or they believe that tithing is not an essential part of a Christian life.  I am part of the first group.  I believe wholeheartedly in the act of tithing, and my husband does as well.   This verse though, oh, just look at this verse!  Look at what God is telling us about tithing!

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
      That there may be food in My house,
      And try Me now in this,”
      Says the LORD of hosts,

      “ If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
      And pour out for you such blessing
      That there will not be room enough to receive it.
     
He says Try Me!! It's a challenge- issued to whomever wants to follow through and test God in this one.  He challenges us to the act of tithing, and says that if we tithe, He will bless us so abundantly- there will not be room for the blessings He bestows.  Wow! It seems to me that this verse is the perfect opportunity for anyone who is questioning the validity of tithing today.  It's like God is saying, I dare you to try tithing and see how I bless you for it.  

Tithing is simply a way to give back to God what is already His in the first place, really.  He provides the income that Andy brings in, and so in response to God's provision, we take a mere 10 percent of that and give it right back to Him- then we have the remaining 90 percent to be good stewards of.   When we are actively tithing, we really never miss that 10 percent in the first place.  Mathematically, there are times that truly doesn't make sense to us, because on paper, it looks like we may be short some weeks without that ten percent, but it always works out.  God takes care of us when we take care of Him.  And by taking care of Him, I mean by giving a portion of our finances to His House, to help keep it running smoothly.

Once upon a time, when people were in need, the first place they would turn to would be the church.  It was the church that would provide, food and other necessities for those who need it.  Our society, at least in our country, has gotten away from that somewhat.  Oh, many churches still have food pantries within them, but most often, assistance is gotten from the government via programs or welfare.  More and more, I've been feeling a sense that we need to get our "houses" in order to prepare to feed the people, because as finances become tighter and tighter, it's those programs that are going to be cut.  As a church, we need to be prepared to step in- and to do the job that was ours to do in the first place.  As church members, we prepare by bringing our tithe into the storehouse. 

And so I challenge you today, as you read this wonderful verse.  I challenge you to think about your own stance on tithing- and then do something about it.  If you don't tithe currently, take these verses to heart, and try God, see how He blesses you with your act of tithing.  If you do tithe currently, take these verses to heart, and remind yourself that you've helped take care of God's House, and in return He will take care of you- use this verse as encouragement today to get through whatever tough times are dragging you down.  Read this part again, and just feel the love that is dripping off of it.  God loves you so much, and wants you to be obedient to the things that He has directed us to do. 

If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
      And pour out for you such blessing
      That there will not be room enough to receive it.