Observations and Frustrations

God promised His people overwhelming blessings: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house.” He challenged them to “test” Him “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.” He promised to “rebuke the devourer” so their crops would be fruitful…and “all the nations will call you blessed” (vs. 10-12).

Yet, for some people, these promises didn’t seem possible. They concluded that it was “futile” to serve God (NIV). They felt it was useless—that there would be no result and that His promises were empty.

Even today, many share these conclusions. They look at the world and decide that the ungodly are succeeding, while the righteous seem to suffer. Many feel that those who serve God are being deprived of pleasures and riches. They don’t trust that God will bless them when they place Him first and Sow into His Kingdom.

However, the Bible says that those who “feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it” (v. 16). They sought God, received His perspective, and their doubts were answered. They realized that God would work everything out. He would remember them and reward them for their faithfulness and obedience.

Today, remember that God honors His Word. He honors those who live by faith and obey His principles. He rewards those who sow seeds into His Kingdom with the resources they’ve been given. The Lord wants us to talk with Him and bring Him our concerns and fears, confusion and doubts. We will learn that we can trust Him and that He will make everything right.