"Will a man rob God?"

Good Morning!  Yesterday in Kidz Klub (children's church) I preached about the "Most Important Prayer of the Day."  I used Malachi 3:10 as my main text.  I wasn't preaching about tithing our money as is usually the case when Malachi 3:10 is used.  No.  I was preaching about our time.  Every morning that we wake up, God gives us 86,400 seconds in the next 24 hours.  Once those seconds tick by, we can never get them back.  I told the kids that God demands 10% of our increase (money).  So, out of every $10 we earn or receive, $1 belongs to God.  If we do not pay to God that $1, then we are robbing God.  I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want to ever rob the One that created me.  My husband and I are very diligent about making certain that we give our 10%.  However, what about the rest of our 'increases?'


Nehemiah 10:37 says, 

"We will bring to the priests at the storerooms of the Temple the first of our ground meal, our offerings, the fruit from all our trees, and our new wine and oil. And we will bring a tenth of our crops to the Levites, who will collect these things in all the towns where we work."

God wants 10% of everything He blesses us with in our life...and, not just 10%...He wants the FIRST of everything He blesses us with to be returned to Him.  So, if He blesses us with 86,400 seconds in each 24 hour period...he expects us to return to Him or His work 9,600 seconds each day.  That's a mere 2 hours and 40 minutes.

I do not believe God expects us to be on our knees for 2 hours and 40 minutes each day BUT I do believe that He expects us to do His work each day.  In addition to our normal time reading the Word, praying and spending quality time with Him, I believe that in order to tithe our 2 hours and 40 minutes each day, we need to do things that will glorify God and bring honor to His name.  Make cookies for a neighbor that has been housebound...mow the yard of the neighbor that has been out of town...take a meal to the family down the street  that just had a baby...offer to babysit someone's children while they go out for a nice evening with their spouse...there are a million different things you can do to share the love of Christ with others.  Once you get 'used' to tithing your 2 hours and 40 minutes of time to God and His work...I'll bet you find yourself spending much more time than that giving!


We need to be good stewards of the things God has blessed us with...our time, our money, our talents, our body, our kids...just to name a few.  What ever He give you...please be sure to return it back to Him.


Walking the walk & Talking the talk,