Are You Robbing God?

Let me tell you something that might go against what you’ve been taught:

God doesn’t need your money.

Malachi 3:8 says, “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ In tithes and offerings.” And, people interpret that the wrong way.

The scripture goes on to say that what God really wants is to bless us. So, the people were really robbing God of His ability to bless them. He can’t bless us when we cut Him off. It says that we put ourselves under a curse when we’re not walking by His covenant and in His ways. He wants us away from the curse and walking in His blessings.

He says, “Test me in this!” Do you hear His heart in that? He’s saying, “Let me show you how much I love you! Let me show you how I want to bless you!”

In Luke 15, Jesus teaches about this with the story of the prodigal son. You know the story. The younger son left father’s house by his own free will and found himself bankrupt and hungry. He hired himself out to survive. That’s the key. In his father’s house, he had access to all his father had. Outside of his father’s house, he didn’t.

Any parallels? That’s how we approach God. We work to survive. And, we wait for Friday night.

So the son went home. He planned to go home and be a hired hand for his father, but when he got there, that’s not what happened. His father ran to him and hugged and kissed him! That made the father unclean. Do you understand? Do you see the comparison to God there? He placed a robe on him. He gave him his signet ring and restored his status as his son.

He gave the son a blessing he didn’t deserve.

It was the father’s pleasure to give him those things despite his hireling mentality. And, that’s how we were all trained. We think like the son thought. Because the earth curse has us trained to work harder and longer. So we don’t know how to live in the blessings. We think things “aren’t fair” if they aren’t worked, and sweated, and slaved for.  

But God wants us to work with Him, not for Him. He wants to display you to people for his splendor, for His glory. He wants us to be known as His people because we’re blessed.

The father didn’t send the prodigal son back out to the streets, wearing torn up clothing, and lacking food and shelter. His son bore his name! He bore his image! If your son walked out in a blizzard with torn clothes and no coat, people would say you’re a bad parent. The same is true of God. Where you go, you bear His name. He wants to bless you so that others will see His goodness and come to Him. What are people saying about Him because of you? 

God wants you blessed and prosperous. There is a purpose behind money. You are to be generous on every occasion. You’re it! When you meet the needs of people, they will see Him and recognize Him, and THANK Him!

Stop robbing God! Start talking about the blessing of God. Better yet, start demonstrating the blessing of God. Try it!