A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty. 

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

-All too often, we treat God as if he’s a feeble old man who won’t take notice and can’t tell the difference anyway. We short him what is rightfully his convincing ourselves it doesn’t matter so much. 

Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. 

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

-Of course we know he doesn’t need our sacrifices but has set the practice of giving him our best as a test of our wholeheartedness. 

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

-No better test exists than in our finances, tithes and offerings. 

-It’s a heart condition. 

-Wholeheartedness is offering our very best in return for his very best. 

-Any measure less is a shoddy, halfhearted substitute.