How do you give to the Lord?
Do
you just drop some money in the plate at church without much thought?
Or do you just write a check to God at the first of every month and pay
Him like you pay all your other bills?
You
need to think about that because how you give is a matter of deep
concern to God. He’s particular about how offerings are given. He won’t
receive just any old thing however you feel like giving it.
In
Malachi, for example, God refused to receive Israel’s offerings. They
were bringing Him their defective animals, their blind calves and the
injured ones they couldn’t do anything else with—and God said it
offended Him. He told them, “You don’t have any reverence or honor for
Me, and I’m not going to accept your offering.”
That
kind of thing didn’t die out after the book of Malachi. Many today
don’t have any reverence for God at offering time. People wait for the
preacher to beat them over the head until they feel so guilty they have
to reach down in their pocketbooks and get some money out.
But I
want you to know, that’s offensive to God. In fact, He spoke directly to
a friend of mine about it. The statement He made to her so impressed
me, I wrote it down word for word.
It grieves Me when the Church takes offerings, He told her.
I
said to worship Me. Don’t take from the people, but let them bring
their gifts and worship Me. Then they will see the fruits of their
giving.
If you and I want God to be pleased with our
offerings, we’re going to have to do what the Apostle Paul wrote about
in 2 Corinthians 8:7. We’re going to have to learn to “excel in this
grace of giving”
(New International Version). We’re going to have to quit being casual about it and to learn to give with faith and reverence in worship.
Next
time the offering plate is passed, don’t just drop your gift carelessly
in the plate. Get serious. Determine to obey God. Worship Him with your
money and be thankful. He’ll do more than simply receive it, He’ll open
the windows of blessing for you.
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