Tender Mercy #6
Malachi 3: 8-10:
8. Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Where in have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9. Ye are a cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10. 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.
For the last couple months, I haven't been exactly faithful in paying my tithing. It's not something I'm proud of or have ever done before. I've been raised by good parents who taught me by example, the lesson of paying tithing. I am eternally grateful for their example. I think I just overlooked paying tithing, saying to myself that I'll pay double next time. I never took care of it 'next time'. I started to feel the blessings slip away and I knew that I desperately needed those blessings....but I also needed the money. I never had to learn to pay tithing the 'hard way', til recently. I knew that paying tithing took faith, but maybe I always just paid it out of obligation. This past Sunday I finally paid one of my "next time" tithes. I was worried because I still had two other big bills to tend to, but I knew this is where I needed to exercise faith.
It paid off this morning....
Normally I never open my paycheck at work, but thought I'd open it up to see how little this paycheck would be (mandatory furlough days at work have cut into work hours---NOT fun). I was SHOCKED when I noticed that my paycheck was LARGER than normal!! Even though I had furlough hours docked from my paycheck, there was a surprise bonus!! (Crazy right?!) I talked to a supervisor about it because I was so confused! He explained the bonus and my heart swelled joy and gratitude. I couldn't hold back the tears as Malachi's words came to mind. My co-workers started to worry that I was crying for something sad or tragic. That couldn't be further from the truth. I reassured them that they were 'happy tears'.
My heart is full of love and gratitude to a gracious Heavenly Father who knew exactly what I needed--both trials and blessings. I think I now fully understand the lesson of tithing. It's one thing to study and witness it from others, but it truly is something spectacular to experience it for yourself. Thank you Heavenly Father.
