Guilty.

Malachi 3:8-10 tells us:

Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say, "In what way have we robbed You?"
In tithes and offerings.
You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation.
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it."

I am guilty. I have robbed God, over and over...and over again. I tithe for a while, then I stop, then I start again. This year I have been much better at tithing, although I am not religious (pun intended) about it. When business is slow, and there is very little money to tithe, that is when I tend to tithe the most consistently. I know when I have been bad, and try to make it right. It's a bit scary to write a tithe check knowing if it gets deposited the next day, it will bounce. No checks have bounced though.

It's really such a simple concept, so clearly stated in the Bible, and so very true that we do receive abundant blessings when we give God His share. This is the only place in the Bible where God tells us to test Him. The only place.....

I do many blog entries about coupons and how little I pay for things. My goal there is to educate and empower others to do the same. Being good stewards of our finances is Biblical too. Paying so little for things allows me to share with friends, and also to donate items.

We had a very good eBay day. The best in quite a while. It's not a coincidence, it's the tithes. I think when God talks about pouring out blessings, those blessings don't have to be monetary in nature. In our big world of shiny things with bells, it's easy to forget what is truly important. Count your blessings, name them one by one. Here are some of mine. I would love to read some of yours.

I am a child of God.
I have a wonderful, loving husband.
I have a wonderful, loving son.
A godly mother who inspires me
We are all healthy.
Two dogs who add love and laughter (and hair) to each day.
I have a roof over my head.
I sleep in a nice bed.
There is food in my house.
Good friends.
Talents. (gifts God gave to me)
A place in heaven.
Simple taste and simple wants.