September 20
There is another matter too often neglected by those who seek the Lord in prayer. Have you been honest with God? By the prophet Malachi the Lord declares,
"Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from Mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings."
Malachi 3:7, 8
As the Giver of every blessing, God claims a certain portion of all we possess. This is His provision to sustain the preaching of the gospel. And by making this return to God, we are to show our appreciation of His gifts. But if we withhold from Him that which is His own, how can we claim His blessing? If we are unfaithful stewards of earthly things, how can we expect Him to entrust us with the things of heaven? It may be that here is the secret of unanswered prayer.
Christ's Object Lessons, p.144
In a couple of weeks, the first Sunday in October, the preacher’s training courses will start around the Conference. The aim is to develop new preachers and remind already trained preachers and seek to equip them to do one main task. They are to understand what God said in the past and make that message relevant to us today.
The short passage above is difficult on it’s own. We ought to make it clear and relevant to our day. Those last words, “It may be that here is the secret of unanswered prayer.” can be taken two ways. The secret of unanswered prayer is either not giving tithe or it is about being an unfaithful steward.
Read the context. If you are an unfaithful steward you will have unanswered prayer. If you are an unfaithful steward what you are doing is failing to show appreciation of God’s gifts – to you.
So what are you revealing when you are an unfaithful steward? That you only partly trust God. You may trust him to give you teachings and guidance – but when it comes to letting him look after your life there is a lack of trust.
If you can’t trust God with your life it may be that God can’t answer your prayers because God knows that you can’t use the gifts He is about to offer you. He can't give because you can't receieve. The issue is not God's generosity but our lack of trust in all areas of our life.
Have you ever heard of ‘world gratitude day?’ Tomorrow, September 21, is world gratitude day. How about showing your gratitude, not just in your tithe but also in showing your trust in God as you think you can be a more faithful steward of the gifts God has given you?
There will be no blog tomorrow, but here is the reading for you to follow.
September 21
But the Lord in His great mercy is ready to forgive, and He says,
"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, . . . if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field. . . . And all nations shall call you blessed; for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts."
Malachi 3:10-12
Christ's Object Lessons, p.144
