If not today - someday.

3 Nephi 24

Jesus teaches the people the words of Malachi, a prophet in the Old Testament.  (Malachi 3) This is an interesting Book of Mormon truth.  Malachi was born well after Lehi and his family left Jerusalem.  So none of the Nephites would have known to put this in unless someone they knew told them, such as the Savior himself. 

He tells them about tithing and how not paying tithing is robbing God.  When I was turning my life around, I asked my Dad for a father’s blessing.  He told me in that blessing that if I continued on the path I had chosen, that the Lord would “. . . pour out a blessing that there would not be room enough to receive it.”  Many times I’ve thought about that blessing, because it is exactly how I feel.   Paying tithing is just one of the commandments we must keep, however.  Why would Jesus use the payment of tithes as the one blessing that would pour out blessings?  My thoughts on this:  If a person were to just pay tithing and ignore the other blessings, could he expect the Lord to be good on his promise?  Money seems to be a common treasure and is hard to part with.  However, if we pay our tithing willingly, it sets our hearts toward God and keeping his other commandments would seem to be more of a no brainer.  After all, why would I part with my hard-earned money if I were still going to have the Lord angry with me over other junk I’d done.

In v14 “Ye have said: It is vain to serve God, and what doth it profit that we have kept his ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts?”  They see that some who don’t keep the commandments actually appear to be blessed.  They seem to be “set up”.  However, the Lord watches what the righteous do – v16 “. . .a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord. . .”  The Lord is keeping track.  It doesn’t really matter what is happening to those who are not obeying.  What matters is where our hearts are.  If it appears we are not receiving blessings, so be it.  We need to have that faith that he is keeping score and we will be blessed, if not today – then someday.