When Trust Feels too Costly

Have you ever faced one of those moments when doing the right thing just doesn't seem practical? You know what God's asking – to give, to forgive, to let go – but the numbers simply don't stack up. The risk feels too great and your heart whispers, "I can't afford this." That's exactly where Israel found itself in the days of the prophet Malachi. The people had stopped giving, stopped trusting, and started hoarding. Times were tough and their faith had shrunk to self-protection. Into that fear, God said something stunning – the complete opposite of every other command not to test Him: Malachi 3:10 "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." (NIV) To be clear, God was not sweating over how many shekels they'd give. After all, as the psalmist writes, He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. Hey, He owns the whole darned shootin' match. No, God wasn't asking for their money; He was asking for their trust. When people tested Him in rebellion, it was a sin. But here, He invited the test – because generosity born of faith reveals hearts that still believe that He still provides, no matter how dire things may seem. So today, what's the step of obedience that feels too costly for you? Take it anyway. Because when you trust God with open hands, you'll discover that you simply cannot out-give Him. That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.