Ye offer polluted bread upon the altar-.-.-.-The table of the Lord is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice-.-.-.-and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? —Malachi 1:6-8
By the time Malachi wrote these words, the sacrifices the Israelites brought God were nothing more than their castoffs. God commanded the people to give their best, and the priests were instructed to examine the offerings before they were made. But the people became greedy. They didn’t want to give God their best. They had forgotten the law of sowing and reaping. They offered only the leftovers, the rejects, and the castoffs of what they had. They reaped destruction and ruin as a result.
Too often, we keep the best for ourselves and offer to the Lord that which costs us little. Five percent is not 10 percent. It may soothe your conscience, but it doesn’t satisfy God’s commands. He says, “Go ahead and offer your desecrated offering, but I won’t be listening to your songs, and I won’t be hearing your prayers.” Give your best to God and walk in covenant blessing.
Remember that tithing touches your time and talents as well as your treasure. Are you spending the best part of your time with the Lord? Are you giving to the Lord the best of your talents?
Lord, today I give You my best, not my leftovers.
I give You my best treasure, talents, and time
so that You can be honored and glorified
in my life. Amen.
