Ok so I'm always helping my kids to study. Now it's my turn. I've been turning my devotion time into kind of a study time. So God brought me to this portion:
Malachi 3:10-11
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, 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, saith the Lord of hosts.
Bring:As the ancient peoples would bring crops etc. to Pharoah's or whomever's storehouses, they had to load the food into wagons, they had to work in the hot sun, they had to put large amounts of effort out in order that the storehouse might be a source of life to them in the winter months. The bringing was not easy nor effortless.
All: The farmers had more than one field. If an ancient farmer were only to grow tomatoes, he would be risking too much. The tomato market might be bad or might be so good that they weren't worth much. A farmer had to raise his own food or at least enough of a variety of foods that he would prosper without risking too much. Each of us has more than one area of our lives that God would have us tithe on.
Tithes: A tithe is the voluntary contribution of a tenth part of something. That something could be my time, of course money, or whatever God would lay his finger on. For me money is easy to tithe, my time is the hard part. I don't need to get legalistic and measure out precisely two hours and fourty minutes. But if God asks me to do something I should jump to it with an eager, "yes, Lord"! Unlike how I have been, with grumbling and complaining, forgive me Lord.
That there may be meat in mine house:I am your house Lord. The meat that you would have in me is spiritual food. That way if anyone around needs to be blessed you can count on me to be there that they can enter into my life and find the filling food from you Lord that they are looking for. Help me oh God to do this.
Prove:this means you want us to test your promise, put you on a kind of trial. See by a real life experiment that your word is the surest thing going. Help me oh God to do all that you say so that you can pour out the blessing that you've longed to and open the windows of heaven. Oh God help me to be perfect even as you are perfect.
Open the windows of heaven: Can you even imagine? It would be like having windows in the floor of your house and your house being one story or more up off of the ground. Your stuff would totally fall out if the windows were ever opened. But just think what would fall if heavens windows opened.The glory of God. His power. His presence. His peace. His grace. and more and more.
Pour you out a blessing: What happens when you pour a pitcher or a cup of water out? It spills, it soaks, it drenches whatever it falls on and then all over whatever is around what it falls on. What if a blessing was POURED on you? Can you even imagine?
Well, I'll have to get back to you on the rest of the scripture. I know that God has been reminding me of himself. He is so faithful to his word!! Will write again later! |
Dec. 12, 2005 - Finally...
God Bless,
Amber