How firm of foundation, ye saints of the Lord is laid for your faith in his excellent word.

As we've studied the book of Malachi, we've talked a lot about giving God our best.

But in today's study, we'll discuss a related topic.

Is it possible to steal from God?

Well, you might not think so.

But the prophet Malachi had a strong message for Israel in his day.

And that same message is relevant for us too.

Welcome to Through the Bible.

I'm your host Steve Schwetz. And I'm glad that you've hopped aboard the Bible bus as our journey through God's entire word continues in the Old Testament book of Malachi. Now, years ago, Dr. McGee read a letter from a young man who stopped going to church but didn't give up looking for God. It's a great letter. And I think that you're going to like it as much as Dr. McGee did. So let's listen now.

This letter I want to share with you now is a remarkable letter. It comes from Phoenix, Arizona, says I hopped on board the Bible bus and proverbs, and I'm still riding along, and I hope to keep writing

as long as your program is on, and I'm alive. I'm 21 years old now, but when I was 17, my

father died. I'd been going to church all my life and thought I was an all right guy,

and was very idealistic and thought life was a bowl of cherries. My father's death changed all of that

and turned my life into a nightmare. I turned to my pastor for help but found none. So I quit church. I turned to a

Christian psychologist and he helped a little, but for $27 an hour, I want more than a little help.

So I quit him. I didn't know where to go. I thought about suicide, but I was too

scared. I didn't really want to die. In fact, that was the whole problem. I was scared of dying,

and now it was a reality. In the past, I had tried reading God's word, but it didn't make any sense.

Then one day I accidentally tuned in to your program. My, oh my, you made the word of God real and

understandable, and you solved my problem when you said anybody

that has intellectual problems as sin problems. And you know what? You were right. I was a sinner,

and I needed Christ. I came to him offering nothing but receiving forgiveness and salvation, forgiving.

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