hmmm…..
Today we are studying the book of Malachi in our Wednesday Morning Bible Study. Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament and so it is a fitting choice for the last class before our summer recess. We have been looking at the Minor Prophets the past few weeks and have found that basically they all say the same thing -- ”you have messed up and God is gonna get ya!” Not a very positive message in our “think positive” world which is probably why preachers don’t choose the Minor Prophets very often for their sermons.
But maybe sometimes it is good to look at our mess-ups. The other day, I heard a psychologist say that we always have to pay for our mistakes. The Presbyterian theologian in me would say, “So much for grace.” But I think the psychologist has a point. There is pay back. We do have to live with the consequences of our actions and we can choose to repair most mistakes.
Malachi told the Israelites that they were messing up by not giving a tenth of their bounty to God. And the bounty they were giving was diseased and damaged. But God said, “Put me to the test. Bring a tenth of your best to me and I will shower you with so many blessings that your biggest storehouse will not be able to hold it all.”
We put God to the test of repeating the same mistakes over and over again and then expecting forgiveness for them. But do we put God to the test of giving God a measure of our best and waiting for the blessings to pour out? Maybe not so much – but maybe we should.
hmmm…..
Or maybe just giving God a tenth of our best just cause we love God and wanna give it? ha. Blessings would be just a bonus, in that light...
ReplyDeleteI guess it's easier to give cheerfully when you aren't operating from a position of desperation. I have "enough" which is more than so many in the world can say. Cheerfully giving, from a point of starvation, would be much more difficult.....now you've made me go hmmmmm....but I'll bet that was your intent? ha
THANKS, nancy, as always.