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A story explaining Malachi 3:8 of how the world could be shocked understanding Scripture and how God continues to challenge man

World Shocked as God Challenges Man
by Tracy Young

(Malachi 3:8-12 AMP)

God speaks, "Will a man rob or defraud God? Yet you rob and defraud Me."

Man looks perplexed and asks, "In what way do we rob or defraud You?"

God answers, "You have withheld your tithes and offerings. You are cursed with the curse, for you are robbing Me, even this whole nation."

Man ponders how to reverse the curse.

God looks at Man and says, "Bring ALL the tithes (the whole tenth of your
income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

Man looks at God with a startled expression. God has never asked anyone to test Him before. This was a serious challenge.

God continued, "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruit before the time in the field, says the Lord of hosts."

Man starts thinking to himself, that having the devourer rebuked FOR him is so much better than a curse. It was exciting that he would be able to keep the existing fruit and to be blessed in all future work.

God was not done, yet. God continued, "And all nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts."

Man thinks about what was said. "So on one hand, if I don't tithe and give back to Your house, I am cursed with a curse. Okay. On the other hand, if I give back to You a portion of what is ALREADY Yours, I will have the windows of heaven opened with blessings poured upon me. In addition, I will not have room enough to receive it? Why would I have too much of blessings and no where to put it?" Before God could answer, Man figured it out. "So that I would bless OTHERS with it! I would have the devourer rebuked for me, have all of my fruit secured, and the world would call me happy and blessed!"

God said, "I challenge you. Test me on this."

Man replied, "Do I take the curses or the blessings? This is so lop-sided, there is only one choice. I will take the blessings and challenge you, Lord of Hosts!"

The Lord of Hosts simply said, "You shall then be a land of delight."

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“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.
“ And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
Says the LORD of hosts;
And all nations will call you blessed,
For you will be a delightful land,”
Says the LORD of hosts." Malachi 3:8-12 NKJV