Malachi’s Appeal to God’s People

December 14, 2018 (Friday)

I’ve been thinking about the changes in our economy since I moved to Rockport in 1964, and how the dollar has been devalued over those 54 years. Let’s suppose that I misplaced a dollar bill when moving to Rockport, and just found it after all these years. The dollar I found today would not have the same value it had when I misplaced it. It would be worth only thirteen cents today. If I put the same amount in the offering plate today that I did in 1964, it’s not really the same amount, is it? Of course, if a person is a tither, his giving automatically increases as his income increases. It was 10% in 1964, and it’s 10% today. If you are interested in knowing what a fixed amount in a given year in the past is worth today, just click here.

A church needs more funds than last year because of the simple fact of inflation. The dollar is worth less this year than last. And will be worth less next year than today. Just keeping up with the cost of living calls for us to give more each year than we did the previous year.

What if all the members of a church tithed? God would be pleased. Malachi made an appeal that we can’t afford to ignore. Here’s what he said (in “The Message” translation): “Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple. Test me in this and see if I don’t open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams.”