August 9, 2009: Giving What is Not Yours – Michael Hidalgo

So often stealing is simply “taking what is not yours.” However, Malachi tells us that it is more than that. Malachi says … Will you rob God? The people are stealing by not giving. Stealing is also not giving what is God’s. If the essence of stealing is getting things, then we need to live opposite … that is we need to give. 

James tells us that all good things come from God. If this is the case, then whenever we take something that is not ours, whenever we steal, we are actually attempting to undo what God is His good favor has chosen to give. Stealing is the most overt way we tell God that we do not like what he has provided for us.