December 31

Malachi 3:1-4:6, Revelation 22:1-21, Psalm 150:1-6, Proverbs 31:25-31

Pray: Father, I trust You for my salvation but there have been times I have not trusted You with my finances. Help me to move from being cursed to being blessed by tithing.

Read: Through the prophet Malachi God said to His people, “Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you. (Mal. 3:7) Then Malachi goes on to say, “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!” The response of Israel was what do you mean and when have we ever cheated God? Malachi responds to Israel saying, “You have cheated God of the tithes and offerings due to him." And because you have done that, you are under a curse. Israel is then told to bring all the tithes into the storehouse so that there will be enough food in God’s temple. 

Edify: Can you imagine being cursed and having the United States cursed as well by God Himself? But that is exactly what happened to Israel. Israel found themselves outside the blessing and protection of God. But God does offer a blessing. If Israel tithes, God said He would open the windows and pour out a blessing so great they wouldn’t have enough room to take it in. God through the prophet goes on to say that crops would be abundant, insects would not harm them, and disease would not destroy them. God also promises that their grape harvest would be great and that all nations would call them blessed. 

Practice: The passage in Malachi beginning in Chapter 3 with verse 10 says, “Put me to the test!" This is the only place in scripture where man is encouraged to test God. The tithe is the first 10% of your earnings. Are you willing to put God to the test? Are you willing to see if God will bless 90% enough to go further than 100% used to go? Are you tired of having 100% cursed? Start the new year blessed….TITHE!