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Support of the Lord’s Plan, August 3
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in
mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I
will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing,
that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Malachi 3:10
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We are not to look upon the property we are handling as our own, with
which we may do as we please. It is the Lord’s, to be administered in
accordance with His prescribed plans
God wants all His stewards to be exact in following divine arrange-
ments. They are not to offset the Lord’s plans with some deed of charity,
some gift, or some offering, done or given when and how they, the human
agents, shall see fit. God has made His plan known, and all who cooperate
with Him will carry out His plan instead of daring to attempt to improve
on it by their own arrangements.... God will honor them and work in their
behalf, for we have His pledged word that He will open the windows of
heaven and pour us out a blessing such as there will not be room enough to
receive.
It is a very poor policy for men to seek to improve on God’s plan
and invent a makeshift, averaging up their good impulses in this and that
instance and offsetting them against all that is required by God.... We are
to strike true and faithful figures in tithing, and then say to the Lord, I have
done as Thou hast commanded me. If Thou wilt honor me by trusting me
with Thy goods to trade upon, I will, by Thy grace, be a faithful steward,
doing all in my power to bring meat to Thy house....
Men who have large responsibilities are to be sure that they are not
robbing God in any jots or tittles, when so much is involved, as is so plainly
stated in Malachi. Here we are told that a blessing is given for a faithful
disposition of the tithes, and a curse for the covetous retention of the money
which should flow into the treasury. Then ought we not to be sure to work
on the safe side, so dealing with God in handling the property lent us on
trust that no shadow of reproach shall fall upon us? ... I need not ask, Will
not God bless those who are faithful? We have His pledged word
[222]
4
The Review and Herald Supplement, June 21, 1898
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5
Ibid
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