Today vs. Eternity - Mal. 3:14, 15

"You have said, `What's the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the Lord Almighty that we are sorry for our sins? From now on we will say, `Blessed are the arrogant. For those who dare God to punish them go free from harm.'" Mal. 3:14, 15

Yikes!! Who would make a statement like that?! You might conclude it must be some atheist with a completely depraved mind who has no concept of God--you would be wrong. God says that this is what the Jews said! If they could be drawn down this path, could we? I would argue yes, and in some cases have already been. Someone once asked, "How do you eat an elephant?" And the wise man said, "One bite at a time." A slippery slope is a scary thing. We start off with a tidbit of wrong thinking, make that a premise for a decision, that bad decision leads to another, and we're on our way to parts unknown (or to making statements like the one above). When you wonder how someone, that you thought you knew well, got from point A to point B in his thinking, remember "one bite at a time," with a little bit of Satan thrown in. When we rationalize what God tells us to do, we usually are trying to twist the situation so we can justify doing something WE want as opposed to what we KNOW God is telling us to do. We are making a decision for today vs. eternity.

It's funny, the book of Malachi is always used to teach about tithing, but the message is SO much broader than that. It is about attitude and perspective. Is life about you or God?; Is your focus on now or eternity? Earlier in Malachi, God says he will stand as a "ready witness" against those who oppose him because, "these people do not fear me." Probably not a good position to be in! Then he says, "Now return to me, and I will return to you." This is my God! Always ready to forgive and give me a way back. The cheating of tithes is simply a symptom of a deeper and more fundamental issue: Do we trust God to take care of us? He says he will--not only that, he says to TEST HIM in this and he "will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in!" Somehow we have bought into the lie that if we don't look after ourselves first, no one will. This is the kind of stinkin' thinkin' that will always get me/us in trouble (look where it got Ananias and Sapihira! Acts 5). God has huge plans for us, don't let the world get in the way.

God, give me your eyes to see your vision, as I know I will always think WAY too small.

Today's reading: Mal. 3,4; Ps. 148; Acts 5